Bloodstream
by Lord Tenthredon
Summary: He was a drug lord; the most powerful in all of Fiore. She was a cop determined to take him down. When she infiltrates his drug trade, she realizes that there is more to him then meets the eye. AU NaLu.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm here with a new story. I've had this idea for a really long time actually, and while I was cleaning out my storage on my computer I found this in a document that contained a lot of my future story ideas! So anyway enjoy the first chapter and let me know if you guys want me to continue!**

 **Summary: He was a drug lord; the most powerful in all of Fiore. She was a cop who was determined to take him down. When she infiltrates his drug trade, she realizes that the life of a cop may not be what she wanted after all. AU NaLu.**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

I groaned as it was another boring day of office work at the precinct; crime had been really low lately so I had been reduced to covering stupid things like speeding tickets or petty theft. This angered me, to say the least, because after I had graduated from the academy, I was expecting a life of cool things like high speed chases or gunfights. Sure, these things happened occasionally, but not enough to my liking.

"You alright over there, Heartfilia?" I turned to see my partner, Erza Scarlet, looking at me with a bit of concern.

I nodded, "I'm all good; I'm just done with this desk work," I said, and I could see Erza nod her agreement.

"You could always try to win the promotion," she said, nodding over to the reward poster sitting on my desk. You see, Laxus, the Police Chief, was offering a promotion to deputy at whoever could bring Fiore's most powerful drug lord to justice; Natsu Dragneel. He has managed to avoid police capture all these years, and every time we catch wind of his location, he has already moved. Some had suspected that Natsu had a mole in the force, which wouldn't surprise me, as I knew that Natsu was no fool, judging from the reports that other officers had put in after their attempts to find him.

"Believe me, Erza, I will," I grinned, and I turned back to my desk to continue filling out this report for this cat burglar I had brought in earlier. It was true what I had said; I did plan on winning that promotion and I did plan on bringing Natsu's criminal empire down. I had already placed a contact near the location that had been reported as Natsu's last whereabouts. I told the contact to find one of Natsu's local dealers and to report back to me with their findings. Then after I had made contact with the dealer, I would request a spot in the circle. Once I was inside, I would fool Natsu into believing that I wanted to be a full-time dealer and then I would start tearing his circle down from within, and once he had lost it all, I would bring him in and secure that promotion.

"Heartfilia, did you finish that report yet?" I looked up as I heard the booming voice of Laxus from behind me.

Turning around, I handed him the report, "Yes sir, here it is," I said, and he nodded his approval before walking off with the folder.

"I get the sense Laxus doesn't like me very much," I said, turning to Erza.

Erza shrugged, "I don't think he likes anyone," she replied, not looking up from her work. I glanced at my phone so I could check the time; it read 12:30pm.

"I'm going to lunch," I said, grabbing my coat. In reality, I was going to go meet my contact to get the final details ready so I could start my plan to take down Natsu.

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

"You told me you would have the money by tonight; so where is it?" I demanded, looking at the shivering man in front of me.

"It was s-stolen, boss, I swear," he gulped, "my house was broken into last night, and both the stash and the money was stolen," I smirked, rising from my desk.

"Is that so?" I asked, advancing towards the shivering man, "Because I had my men inspect your house while you were out last night and they told me that there appeared to be no signs of a break in," I whispered in the man's ear, and I could hear his heart beating rapidly.

"So why don't you make this easy and tell me where the money is… **now** ," I enunciated on the 'now' so I could make my point.

"I swear I don't know, boss," he whimpered, "please give me another chance," he dropped to his knees, his hands resembling that of one who prays.

I shook my head, "I'm afraid I've given you too many chances already; you are no longer of any use to me," I said, and I reached down into my boot and pulled out the pistol I kept strapped in there. Before the man could even protest, I pulled the trigger and the bullet hit him square in the forehead. I smiled in triumph as the man dropped to the floor.

"Gajeel, get one of the ladies to clean this up," I said, motioning to my black haired bodyguard by the door. He nodded and disappeared out of the room.

Putting the pistol back in my boot, I sat down, "Can I just get one competent dealer who can actually deliver what they promise? All these half-assed wannabees barely bring in enough anymore," I said to myself, tapping my fingers on the desk. If I didn't find some better dealers with better connections then I was at risk of losing my empire for good, and that was not an option.

Rubbing a hand through my pink hair, I rose from my desk, "Sting, I'm going out; keep an eye on my stuff," I said, looking over at my other bodyguard in the opposite corner.

He nodded, "Of course, sir," I returned his nod and exited the room.

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

"So you know the plan?" I asked, looking at Levy, the friend who had agreed to be my contact.

She nodded, "I go down to the pier and wait for one of the local dealers to arrive; I tell them I'm interested in buying and ask to meet back there later after I get the money," she replies, and I smile as she remembered the plan detail for detail.

I smiled, "Good," Levy returned my smile, "thank you so much for doing this,"

"It's no problem," Levy shrugged, "you're my best friend and I've always got your back,"

"I appreciate that," I said, taking a sip of the coffee I had purchased when we came to the shop earlier.

"So do you think you'll be able to catch him," the bluenette asked, taking a sip of her tea.

I nodded, "It'll be really difficult, but I know it isn't impossible. Every drug circle has a weak spot and all I have to do is find it," I explained.

"Your job is so much more interesting than mine; I'm just some boring author," Levy sighed.

I shook my head, "Don't say that, your books are amazing!" I said, smiling at her. Levy smiled too and we both took a sip of our drinks.

I looked at my phone, "I need to get back to work… I'll call you later," I said, and I rose from the table and exited the coffee shop. Tonight was the night we were setting the plan in motion; tonight was the night I would be excepted as a 'member' of Natsu's inner circle and then I would destroy his little empire piece by piece until he had nothing and then I would throw his rotten ass in jail. I hadn't been this excited about an assignment since I had stopped the notorious serial killer, Zeref, a couple months back. Now that was hard case; for Zeref had managed to cover every single track he mad, and had even planted fingerprints of other known killers to throw his trail cold. I had almost given up on that case until he had broken in to the house down the street from me and I had been alerted via some of the eyes I kept in the neighborhood. That assignment however seemed a cakewalk compared to the one that lay ahead. I knew taking down Natsu would be hard; he was powerful and he was smart. He had evaded capture for three years ever since we discovered his identity. We had arrested several of his suppliers, but none of them would talk. I also knew this would be tough because this was a drug operation; a band of people who were only loyal to one thing; money. As long as money traded hands and drugs were sold, these people were ready to kill to keep their operation alive. This was one operation I had to be 100% precise on and one mistake could cost me my life. I knew this because we had found some of Natsu's identified dealers dead, a bullet hole in their heads, and I could only guess that they had pissed of Natsu in some manner.

"Don't fret, Lucy, you got this," I told myself as I walked back down the street towards the precinct. Work went by really slow after that however, as I couldn't wait for tonight's events.

* * *

 **Levy's POV**

It was time; it was time for me to go meet one of the dealers and establish a contact for Lucy. Not going to lie, I was really nervous! I mean, I didn't mind helping my best friend, but this was a drug dealer that I was meeting, and we all know that they are a dangerous sort. That reminds me, I once read a cool novel about a dr- oh shut up Levy, now is not the time to talk about books!

I had made it to the pier, and there I saw a man with flowing black hair and piercings, and he was casually smoking a cigarette, "Are you Levy McGarden?" he asked as I approached, his red eyes glowing in the moonlight.

I gulped, "Y-yes," I said, my voice shaking as I approached the big man.

He raised his eyebrow, "You nervous, shrimp?" he chuckled. I said nothing.

"Anyway you got the money?" he asked, his voice no longer carrying the bit of humor it had a minute ago.

"No, but I was just about to go run to an ATM. I'll be back in like ten minutes," I said, and once he nodded, I turned and ran back to the alley where I had come from out to the main road, where Lucy was waiting.

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

I saw Levy approaching, "How'd it go?" I asked as she came up to me, panting a bit.

She shrugged, "Good? But anyway I told him I'd be back with the money so I guess this is where you take over," Levy said.

"It is, thanks again," I said, giving her a quick hug.

"Good luck," she said, and she twisted on her heel and walked off. I made my way back down the alley and over to the pier where I saw a man with black hair and piercings. I recognized him from one of the status reports; he was Gajeel Redfox, one of Natsu's personal enforcers. The fact that Natsu sent him told me that they were having a shortage of dealers.

Gajeel looked up, "Who are you?" he asked, his voice rough, and for some strange reason it reminded me of metal.

"I just heard from my friend Levy that you were selling here. She wasn't interested but I am, and in fact, I was wondering if I could possibly help you with dealing." I explained, and I saw his red eyes widen in surprise.

"You want to deal? A little petite girl like you," he said, laughing a bit. Oh how bad I wanted to slap some handcuffs on this dude right now.

I ignored his comment, "Yes, so can I get in?" I asked.

Gajeel shrugged, "It's not for me to decide; I'll take you to meet the boss," he said, and I nodded, following Gajeel down the docks to a warehouse that was at the very end. So this is where they were operating right now…

Once we were inside, I saw Gajeel signal for me to stop, "Wait here while I go get him," I said, and I obeyed, watching Gajeel stalk off to go find Natsu. My nose crinkled as this entire place smelled like marijuana, crack and cigarette smoke; it was honestly very repulsive.

A couple of minutes later, I heard footsteps approaching and I turned to see Gajeel approaching with a man beside him, his hair spiky and pink, his eyes a deep onyx, "So is this her?" I heard the pink haired man say. Gajeel just nodded.

The pink haired man approached me, "Well, my associate here says you are interested in joining our little circle; what is your name?" he asked.

"Layla," I said, having decided not use my real name in order to decrease my chances of being discovered.

"Well Layla, I'm Natsu Dragneel, and I run this little operation," he said, giving me a weird toothy grin. So this was Natsu? This pink haired buffoon standing in front of me; from everything I had heard, I was expecting someone, well, not as funny looking that's for sure.

"Nice to meet you, Natsu… so am I in?" I asked, praying that Natsu would accept me so I could throw his ass in jail.

Natsu studied me for a minute and then nodded, "You seem smart, and I need smart dealers right now… so welcome aboard," he said, extending his hand to shake mine. Gross, I had to touch him.

"Thanks," I said, and I took his hand, shaking it quickly before letting go. I did it! I was in, and now all I had to do was earn Natsu's trust and start taking down his little operation from inside. I was going to be the one to take down the all powerful Natsu Dragneel, and I was going to be the next deputy of police.

* * *

 **A/N: So I have no idea how a drug circle actually works so don't judge me if it seems weird! Anyway let me know how you guys feel about this chapter and if I should continue!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm back with the 2** **nd** **chapter! It looks like you guys enjoyed the first chapter so I figured I would update again! I'm really glad that you guys enjoyed it! Let me know what you think of this next update, ne?**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Fairy Tail!**

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

Natsu studied me for a minute and then nodded, "You seem smart, and I need smart dealers right now… so welcome aboard," he said, extending his hand to shake mine. Gross, I had to touch him.

"Thanks," I said, and I took his hand, shaking it quickly before letting go.

"Well then, the first order of business is to show you around; Gajeel, will you show her around and then send her to me when you're done," he instructed, before turning away and disappearing without waiting for a reply.

"Is he always that dismissive?" I questioned, crinkling my nose as I watched the pink-haired brat stalk away.

Gajeel shrugged, "I just ignore it. He pays well so that's all that matters," he said, before walking away and gesturing for me to follow him.

He led me down one of the hallways, "Over here to the left is where we have our weekly meetings where we count the cash flow and make sure no one has shorted us out," he explained, and I nodded so that he knew I understood.

"Then over here to the right is where our shipments come in, and it's also where dealers go to restock their weekly stash," I looked over at the room he was talking about, and already I could smell the illegal drugs from inside that room.

"Then over here at the end of the hall is where some dealers come to rest; we don't usually house anyone but since some dealers are struggling home-wise we allow them to rest their heads and such," he explained, gesturing to the room with a bunch of sleeping bags on the floor. I began breathing from my mouth as the room smelled like weed and B.O.

"It seems like a well oiled operation," I observed, pretending to sound fascinated.

Gajeel bought it, "Yeah, Natsu's done a pretty good job ever since he took over from Zeref. Of course we still get a few shoddy dealers here and there, but we make it work," he said.

"Well, I believe Natsu said he wanted to meet with you once we were done… his room is on the 2nd level," he said, pointing towards the metal staircase.

"Thanks," I said, briskly, and I turned and left the black-haired man staring at me with his menacing crimson eyes.

As soon as I entered Natsu's room, I was immediately confronted with the musty smoke of a cigar, "You asked to see me?" I asked, doing a slight bow to play the part.

Natsu turned towards me, the same toothy grin on him as before, "That's right! It was Luigi right?" he asked, taking a puff of his cigar.

Irritation flashed through me, but I kept composed, "It's Layla actually, sir," I said, giving him a fake smile. How could he get Layla confused with Luigi? What a fucking idiot.

Natsu took no notice, "Layla, noted. Well, since you're new I've got to put you through a little field test to see if you really have what it takes to fit in around here," he said, giving me a mischievous grin.

"What kind of test?" I inquired, although I was deeply annoyed by his ridiculous smirk.

"Well, I have this supplier who is interested in working with us; only problem is that he tends to walk the line a little bit and none of the other city drug lords trust him. I want you to go meet with him and see if you can convince him to take this deal that I have written in this document. If you can somehow convince him to take the deal, then I will approve your status here and get you started as a dealer," he said, handing me the document he was referring to.

"So where do I meet this supplier?" I asked.

Natsu's pink hair bobbed as he spoke, "On the same pier that you met Gajeel on; 7:30pm tonight. Don't fail me, Layla. I'd hate to waste such a pretty face," he said, flashing a sly smile at me.

"Gee, thanks," I said, returning his smile with a sarcastic one of my own.

"Just report back to me when you're done," Natsu said, dismissing me with his hand.

"Of course, sir," I replied with mock enthusiasm. As soon as I exited Natsu's room, I silently screamed in anger. What an egotistical little prick! Ooh, I couldn't wait to place Natsu in some handcuffs and throw his ass in the slammer. But first things first, I needed to get out of this warehouse before the musty air and the smell of B.O suffocated me.

I exited the warehouse, and I took a quick look around to make sure I wasn't being watched, and when I determined it was safe, I decided to call Levy and update her, "Hey Levy!" I exclaimed as she answered the phone.

" _LUCY!"_ she breathed into the phone, " _I was so worried about you!"_

"Sorry," I chuckled slightly, "worming my way in with Natsu took a bit longer than expected. But he set me up with my first assignment, and if all goes well, then I'm officially in," I heard Levy gasp with excitement.

" _Ooh sounds interesting,"_ I giggled at her excited tone, _"what's the assignment?"_

"I'm supposed to go meet with one of his new suppliers tonight and strike a deal with them, and if they take the deal then Natsu said he will offer me a permanent place in his organization," I replied, knowing Levy was soaking up every detail.

" _Gosh Lucy, your life is so exciting; it's like a mystery novel!"_ I laughed as she related everything to books.

"I wish my life was that exciting; but I'm going to head back to the precinct and begin writing my report… I'll call you tonight after I finish Natsu's dirty work," I said.

" _Alright, Lucy, be careful!"_ she exclaimed before hanging up the phone. Careful had nothing to do with it, however, I needed to be smart. I knew from the way Natsu had looked at me during our brief meeting that he didn't trust me. So I needed to think of a plan to bring both the deal to Natsu, and also shut down one of his suppliers and start bringing down his organization. I decided to start working out all the details when I got back to the precinct.

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

"I want you to tail that Layla girl tonight," I instructed Sting as the blonde approached.

"Why, sir?" he inquired, "she seemed serious from what Gajeel described,"

I scoffed, "They all seem eager, but there was something off about that girl. If anything goes wrong tonight, I want you to kill her," I said.

"Of course, sir," Sting replied.

"Good, now go fetch Cobra so I can send him out for this next deal," I said, and the blonde nodded before disappearing.

I looked out my window to see Layla outside down below, chatting away with someone on the phone, "What are you hiding?" I whispered as I watched the girl chatter away with whoever she was talking to.

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about tonight. Tonight marked my first test, which in the drug world, failure could cost me my life. Sure, I could try and fight my way out but I was one cop amongst an entire empire of druggies, all who of which would carry a weapon of some kind. I had to be careful and act with utmost precision; if Natsu sensed even one thing was off, I would surely be killed. But along with being nervous, I felt a certain thrill also. This was the most dangerous case I had ever taken and just knowing that it was a life or death situation definitely got my adrenaline rushing.

"What're you thinking about, Heartfilia?" the voice of Erza broke me from my thoughts.

"Just a few things related to my assignment," I replied, giving a quick nod to the redhead. She said nothing and just returned back to her computer. It looked like she was filing a report on a speeding citation. Leaving Erza to her own devices, I started formulating a plan of how I could both bring Natsu a new supplier and shut down one piece of his operation. I already knew that Natsu didn't trust me, and if I was right then he would surely send someone to follow me tonight. So my first task should be to lose the tail, which of course meant I would need a decoy. I knew Levy wouldn't agree to something dangerous like that so I figured I'd ask my friend Cana since she was a bit more danger prone.

" _Hello,"_ Cana said after I had dialed her number.

"Can you meet me outside of the precinct in twenty minutes? I need your help with something," I said.

" _Sure, see you then,"_ she replied before hanging up the phone.

Soon enough, I saw Cana walking towards the steps where I was waiting, a bottle of vodka in her hand, "Are you really driving around with that; especially in front of a police station?" I asked.

Cana rolled her eyes, "You won't do anything, and don't worry I've only had a few sips," she said, gesturing to how full the bottle still was.

I sighed, "Alright, well do you think you can help me with something tonight? It's related to my assignment," I said.

"What would it be?" Cana asked, titling her head to one side.

"Would you be a decoy for me? I could tell Natsu didn't trust me and I'm sure he is sending someone to follow me tonight. I just want you to get the tail to follow you long enough for me to take out this supplier," I explained.

Cana shrugged, "Sure, we just need to find me a blonde wig or something," she said as she looked at our opposing hair colors.

"Go visit Levy; I think she still has a few wigs from our cosplay days," I said, remembering Levy's collection of various colored wigs.

"Got it; so where should I meet you?" she asked.

"Meet me back here at six tonight and we will get started," I said.

Cana nodded, "Alright, see you then," she said, giving me a quick wave before she walked back to her car. Before she got in, she took a huge swig of vodka.

"I'll arrest you if you keep doing that!" I shouted, although my voice was light with humor.

She glared back at, "Come get me then!" she shouted back as she stepped in her car and sped off, grinning widely at me as she drove away. I shook my head; she always was entertaining.

* * *

Eventually it was time to go meet Cana, and I was itching to get started. If I succeeded tonight then I would gain a place in Natsu's ranks and I would be able to start derailing his little empire. Natsu was smart, I'll give him that… but I was smarter.

"I'm here," Cana appeared before me, sporting a blonde wig and some of my clothes.

"We could be twins!" I marveled as I examined the work Levy had done on her.

"Whatever, let's just get started; I have a big bottle of gin waiting for me at home when we finish," she exclaimed.

"Do you ever not drink?" I teased but she didn't reply. I gestured for her to follow me and we walked through the back alley behind the precinct that led to the path that would take us to the docks.

"Alright, you know what to do?" I asked.

Cana nodded, "Lead the tail around in circles until you text me and then I'll disappear," she said, repeating my plan to me.

I smiled, "Good luck," I said and she disappeared down the alley. Sure enough as she turned left, I saw the figure of another begin to follow behind her. Natsu thought he had been clever when he sent someone after me, but as usual, I was one step ahead. After waiting a few minutes for Cana to lead the tail away, I turned the other direction and headed to the meeting spot that Natsu had directed me to go earlier.

As I arrived, I saw no one there, "That's weird, he should be here by now," I said, inspecting the time on my watch.

Another ten minutes passed, and that's when I heard a weird groaning coming from behind some crates, "Who's there?" I shouted, but I got no reply. I walked towards the crates, and was met with a sight of horror as I approached. Lying on the ground was a man, and he was bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to his chest.

"Are you okay?" I asked, but the man simply shook his head before lying still. As a cop, I had seen many die in my day, but it still shook me as I watched someone's life ebb away from their body. However I noticed a note taped to this shirt;

 _Oh Natsu,_

 _You thought you could intrude on my business? That's not how this works dear ;)_

 _I hope that this little man's death proves as a message for what happens to those who attempt to interfere with my territory… and you of all people should know better than to cross me._

 _Kiss kiss_

 _-L_

Who was L? Did Natsu try sending me into a trap and this man just happened to get caught into it? Either way, I needed to go report my findings to the stupid pinkette and figure out what the hell was going on. But first, I sent a text to Cana to tell her that she could stop with the chase as I had completed my mission. Quickly I headed towards the warehouse to go face Natsu.

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

"Come in," I said as I heard a knock on my door. I smirked when I saw Layla enter, her blonde hair ruffled and a bewildered expression on her face.

"So how did it go?" I asked, wondering what had her so fazed.

"When I got there, the man had been shot and was dead within minutes of my arrival. This was taped to his shirt," she said, handing me the note.

I read its contents and frowned, "Thank you; although you didn't manage to capture the supplier, you still went and returned with your findings. If you want a spot in my organization, then it's yours," I said, still staring at the note.

"Of course, sir," she said, "do you need anything else?"

I shook my head, "I'll send for you when I need you… now leave me be," I waved my hand towards the door.

I sighed when I heard her exit the room, "Oh Lisanna, if it's a war you want then it's a war you shall get," I said as I read the note again.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter 2 complete! Honestly writing this story is so much easier than my other NaLu fic. I don't know why… but anyway sorry it took so long to get this chapter out there! Keep posted for the next update!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Back with Chapter 3! Was busy catching up on my updates for 'The Day He Saved My Life' that I never got around to finishing this one! So hope you guys enjoy**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Fairy Tail!**

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

I sat in my chair, rereading the note that Layla had given me from Lisanna. I was a man of very little fears but this note had me slightly on the edge. Lisanna and I go way back; she is the leader of my former drug circle before I left and became a drug lord. She showed me many things but was very angry when I left and had told me to always watch my steps, and now it seems like Lisanna was hot on my tail. Oh well, I knew I couldn't work myself into hysterics just yet; my drug operation outnumbered Lisanna's … at least for the time being.

"Gajeel!" I shouted as I hid the note in one of the drawers of my desk.

"You called, sir?" Gajeel appeared in the doorway, a blank expression on his face.

"I have another assignment for you," I said as I stood up from the chair.

"What would that be?" Gajeel asked, his expression remaining unchanged.

"We need more members; I received a note from Lisanna and if this turns into a turf war we will need more bodies," I explained as I walked around the desk and leaned against it.

"I will get started right away," Gajeel said, nodding quickly before exiting the room. With that problem solved, I needed to find something to do with my day as I usually spent Wednesdays away from here. However, with being a notorious criminal and it being the middle of December, entertainment was in short supply. That's when I had an idea;

"Sting!" I called out, waiting for the blonde to appear.

"Can you go fetch Layla for me?" I asked as the blonde appeared in the doorway.

"Of course, sir," Sting said as he disappeared for a few seconds. After a minute or so, I heard the clicking of heels stop at the doorway.

"You needed me?" Layla asked as she entered the room, a glum expression on her face.

"Yes, come with me," I said as I led her out of the room and to the exit of the warehouse.

"Where are we going?" She asked as we exited the warehouse and continued walking to the end of the docks.

"Just to look at the water; come, sit," I said as I sat by the edge of the docks, Layla eventually doing the same.

"So why did you bring me out here?" Layla asked with a bored expression.

"Well, I know everyone else but I don't know you; since I am the boss, I like to know who I'm working with, ya' know." I asked, smirking at her.

She nodded, "Makes sense," she said, her expression still bored however. I could tell she wasn't really enjoying this.

"So what's your backstory? What made you turn to a life of drugs and crime?" I asked, curious how some ordinary looking girl like her would choose a life like this.

She shrugged, "My mother died when I was little and my father was never really around so the only comfort I had was drugs," she said, although she didn't seem to sure with her story. I chose not to question it though.

"I understand; I didn't know my mother, and my father abandoned me when I was little," I said, inwardly cursing myself from bringing up the man who had abandoned me. There was a lot of pain there and I really hated bringing it up.

"You alright?" I asked after Layla hadn't responded.

"Look, I know we work together and such but I really don't need to get mushy with anyone. I have no interest in being friends or whatever you were hoping for, but if you excuse me, I'm going to go. I know you're my boss or whatever, but please only call on me if it is for a job," Layla said, starting to get up.

"I had no intention on being friends; I was merely curious as to why some ordinary looking girl would come throw herself into my drug ring," I said, standing up as well.

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking at me with a level gaze.

"I mean I don't trust you so I figured I would try to get to know you a bit; and it took some balls to speak to me like that so you seem like you will definitely prove useful. Feel free to go now," I said, dismissing her with a level gaze to match and a wave of my hand.

"Whatever," Layla said as she stalked off, and I sighed as I heard her footsteps trail out of sight. Why did she think I would want to be friends? Someone like me doesn't have friends…

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

God that was the most awkward thing I have ever done; I had spent my first longer moment alone with Natsu and had hated every minute of it. He had asked me how I had gotten into drugs, and luckily I had a painful past to fall back on, however the drug part had been a lie. I had no intentions of getting close to a dirty criminal like him and the only thing that I wanted to focus on was how I was going to take this disgusting drug ring down. Perhaps I could start by figuring out who the person that sent Natsu the note was. He or she was obviously an opposing drug dealer as it had mentioned something about territory. I needed to get back to the precinct and check all this out, and luckily the precinct wasn't that far away from her. I took my time getting there though, just in case Natsu was having me trailed again. After figuring out that the coast was clear. I entered the precinct.

"Heartfilia? What are you doing here; isn't it your day off?" Erza asked as I took a seat at my desk.

"Yes, but I recently discovered some new leads on my case and needed to look in on them," I said.

"Need any help?" she asked as she rolled her chair next to me.

"Actually yes; do you know of any drug dealers that operate on the same territory as Natsu Dragneel?" I asked as I began opening the records of all known drug dealers in the city.

"There are two actually; one is Cobra, but he is just an independent dealer and then some woman named Lisanna. She is actually wanted for almost as many charges as Natsu," Erza said, pointing to the name on the list. My eyes immediately widened when I saw the last name; Strauss. This couldn't be the same Lisanna Strauss that I went to high school with? She was always so popular and good, but something told me that this wasn't just a coincidence. Perhaps I could enlist Lisanna's help in taking down Natsu if I promised not to bring her in. I know it was wrong to do but Natsu was wanted for more charges and sometimes you have to break a few rules to win.

"Do you know where I can find Lisanna?" I asked Erza as I closed out the list.

"I heard she operates from the abandoned Strauss manor that overlooks the other side of the pier, but we've searched the house many times and found nothing, but feel free to go check it out," Erza said as she slid back over to her desk.

"Thanks," I said as I rose from my chair and headed towards the door.

Once I had picked up my car, I drove to the old Strauss house, and suddenly I felt a strange feeling of nostalgia. Lisanna and I had been friends in high school and I had spent many nights at the Strauss house. However the night before graduation, a mysterious fire had started in the house and had killed most of Lisanna's family, aside from herself and her sister, Mirajane. The house itself remained in okay shape but both Mirajane and Lisanna had vacated since. I just hoped that Erza's information panned out and that I would find Lisanna there. Upon arrival to the Strauss house, I exited my car and headed for the door.

"Lisanna? Are you here?" I asked as I knocked on the door. After no response, I stood back and kicked the door open with a swift kick, and I cautiously entered the house.

"Lisanna? It's me, Lucy!" I shouted as I entered the house, although I kept a tight grip on the gun that was strapped to my side. Good thing I had brought it with me.

"Lucy? As in Lucy Heartfilia? I suppose you've come to try to arrest me like all of your cop buddies have tried?" I turned as I heard a familiar voice and I saw Lisanna standing there, her hands cupped around a pistol of her own.

"No it's not that at all; I need your help and I was hoping we could make a deal," I said, raising my hands up to show that I had no intention of harming her.

"What kind of deal?" Lisanna asked, her pistol still pointed at me.

"I need your help to take down Natsu Dragneel, and in exchange, I will erase your records from the police files so you will no longer be wanted," I said, and I saw Lisanna's brow furrow in confusion.

"And how do I know that this isn't one of your police tricks?" Lisanna asked, the pistol still raised towards me.

"Because we used to be friends and you know that I would never lie to you," I said, giving her the same serious look I used to give her when we were younger. I smiled as Lisanna lowered the gun.

"Very well; what kind of help were you looking for?" she asked, her brow raised with curiosity.

"I infiltrated Natsu's drug circle and I was sent to intercept a dealer of his only to find him dead and a note attached that was signed by someone named "L" which I can only guess is you," I said, and I saw Lisanna nod.

"Yes it was me; Natsu has been selling and moving in on my territory and it has been seriously cutting my profits. If taking him down is really your goal then I am glad to help however I can," Lisanna replied, crossing her arms as she walked to sit down one of the few chairs that occupied the empty house.

"I need to start taking down Natsu's empire, which means I need to start bringing his dealers in," I said as I took a seat on a chair nearby.

"And where do I fit in to all of this?" Lisanna asked.

"What if I can convince Natsu to expand his territory? Knowing him, he will continue to move into yours, and that gives you an opportunity to snag his dealers. If you can bring them back here and allow me to arrest them then I can continue working in Natsu's ring without being discovered," I said, hoping Lisanna would catch on the rest.

"And since we would be selling on my turf then Natsu would assume that I would be picking off his dealers?" Lisanna asked, and I smiled as she was still as sharp as ever.

"Precisely… now will you help me?" I asked, taking Lisanna's hand in mine.

"It's a big ask, but if it means getting rid of Natsu and my records erased then sure," Lisanna said, returning my smile with a squeeze of my hand.

"Great, so how about we meet back here tomorrow; I will talk to Natsu tonight and see what I can do," I said as I stood up from the chair.

"Sounds good," Lisanna said, and I waved a quick goodbye as I exited the building. Sweet! Now I was one step closer to taking Natsu down!\

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

"Sir? Layla has requested to speak with you," I heard Sting say from behind me.

"Send her in," I said, dismissing Sting with a wave of my hand.

I turned in my chair as I heard the familiar click of heels, "I thought you didn't want to speak to me," I said as the blonde stood before my desk.

"I said I didn't want to get mushy or be friends; this is pure business and I think you may be interested," she replied, and I raised an eyebrow as she had piqued my interest.

"Go on," I said, nodding for her to continue.

"Well, I was out on the streets and I heard someone say that people are looking for a supplier down on the other side of the pier and I was thinking that maybe we could begin selling and expanding out that way?" Layla suggested, her eyes alight with happiness over her idea. I thought about it for a moment, as I knew that was Lisanna's territory. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for more money and I desperately needed more ground to cover.

"Very well Layla, I say we should move forward… but since this was your idea, I want you to be the one who starts selling out there; it will be good field practice," I said, and I saw Layla's eyes widened.

"I thought you didn't trust me? Why would you entrust me with such an important task?" she asked, crossing her arms and raising one of her brows.

"I don't trust you, but no new recruit has ever come up with any new ideas and frankly it is the best we have right now, so I am willing to trust you Layla, as long as you don't disappoint," I said, smirking at her.

"Of course, sir, I will get started tomorrow," she said, bowing slightly.

"Go talk to Gajeel; he will set you up with a stash and then you can take it out tomorrow and sell as much as you can," I instructed.

"Yes, sir," Layla said as she turned towards the door, her blonde hair swishing behind her. I seriously hoped that this newbie won't disappoint, as I desperately needed to start increasing my income.

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

Boo-yah! Natsu had accepted my deal; that dumbass just sealed his own demise. Today couldn't be any greater as I was about to start the big chunk of my mission. Soon Natsu would be behind bars and I would have that promotion in the bag! But first, I had to go see Gajeel as Natsu instructed so I could keep up my cover.

"I was told to come see you about a stash I could start selling tomorrow," I said as I approached Gajeel, who was busy playing on his phone.

"What kind of stash did you need?" Gajeel asked as he looked up from his phone.

"Natsu didn't say, he is just sending me to a new territory tomorrow," I said, and I saw Gajeel nod in understanding.

"Then you will just need a basic stash of marijuana; whenever we get sent to new territories we usually start with that and if we get a big enough demand then we send out the bigger stuff," Gajeel said as he stood up and motioned for me to follow him.

"So I am giving you an ounce, which is twenty-eight grams. Grams for ten dollars each, so make sure you try to sell it all and if you don't then bring whatever you don't back. Bring back all the cash also, but you automatically get to keep a twenty-five percent cut so you can hold on to that and bring the rest of the cash back. Sting will take the money and I will take the remaining stash and then we will report it back to Natsu. If Natsu is pleased then you will be sent back out, but if he is not then you will be sent to a different territory," Gajeel explained as he led me to the back room of the warehouse, and my nose began burning as the smell of all the different drugs began hitting it.

"Here is the stash; take good care of it… and good luck tomorrow," Gajeel said as he handed me the ounce bag of marijuana. I felt really horrible holding it but I knew that I needed to do so as to retain my cover.

"Thanks," I replied quickly as I left the room. I shoved the bag in my jacket pocket and started making my way out of the warehouse. Now I only had to solve the last conundrum; how I was going to muster enough money to bring back to Natsu. I knew I couldn't actually sell the drugs as that would result in me losing my job if Laxus ever found out. Maybe I could get Lisanna to take it from me and I could get some money from her… I knew that it was still selling technically but at least I was selling it back to a drug dealer. I breathed a heavy sigh as I continued my walk back to my house; this mission was getting more and more complicated by the minute but at the same time it also provided a bit of a thrill. I just knew that no matter what I wanted to take Natsu down and that I really wanted this promotion; my job was all I really had as I had few friends and no boyfriend and that I lived alone. I had a lot riding on this mission and I had to be sure not to fail and that required even more precision than I was already putting it. Natsu made it clear that he didn't trust me and if I wanted to continue this charade then I needed to make earning Natsu's trust a top priority which of course meant that I needed to return with a good amount of money tomorrow. I yawned suddenly, realizing now just how tired I was after my long day. For now, I needed some sleep and I could continue with Operation Take-Natsu-Down tomorrow. I smiled a small smile as I arrived to my apartment door, a good feeling sitting in my stomach over my progress today.

* * *

 **A/N: Well that's that! Over 3000 words! That's better than I usually do! Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it! Stay tuned for the next update!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Jeez. An update for this story is LONG overdue. I had to actually reread this story to even remember what had happened. I would have updated sooner, but I lost my drive for this story and the direction I wanted it to go in. But I'm pushing myself to finish it. Coming up with the main plot took me forever and I need to commit. Anyway I hope people are still reading this story and I hope you all enjoy the update.**

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

I awoke to sun pouring in through my blinds. I rubbed my eyes a bit and gave them time to adjust. I glanced at the clock and saw that it read 7:30 am, and I sighed as I knew I had to get to work. Before getting dressed, I grabbed my phone and quickly dialed Lisanna.

" _Yeah Lucy? What's up?"_ Lisanna asked through the phone after a few rings.

"I have something to discuss in person. Meet me behind my apartment complex in 20 minutes," I replied.

" _Sounds good,"_ Lisanna said before hanging up. I quickly grabbed a shower and did my hair. I decided to throw on a pair of black leggings, combat boots, a tank top with a skull on it and a leather jacket. I also applied some darker make up. If I was going to pretend to be a drug dealer, I may as well look more intimidating. I left my apartment and went behind my complex to wait for Lisanna. Eventually, the white haired girl pulled up in a white sedan.

"What's going on?" Lisanna asked as she approached. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ounce of marijuana that Gajeel had given me. Lisanna eyed it, confused.

"Can you buy this from me? So I can report back to Natsu and continue my case," I asked.

''I have my own stuff to smoke and sell though," Lisanna said, crossing her arms.

"Please? I will pay you back when this is all over," I said, giving her a sincere look. After a moment, Lisanna sighed.

"Very well, but just this once. I would rather not buy in to Natsu's business but you agreed to not turn me in so.. How much is he asking for it?" Lisanna asked.

"Three hundred," I replied. Lisanna dug through her bag for a moment and fished out another smaller bag. She fished around and pulled out a roll of twenties, counting them quickly. She handed me the money and I handed her the drugs.

"Now go before someone sees," I said. Lisanna nodded and got back in her car. I went to my own as she sped away. Time to go report to Natsu and deal with his smugness. I rolled my eyes as I started my car and headed to the warehouse.

* * *

"Back already?" Gajeel asked as I entered the warehouse. I kept a straight, serious face as I approached, determined to keep a somewhat badass demeanor while I was here.

"Is Natsu in?" I ignored his question. Gajeel nodded and pointed upstairs to his office. I walked up the stairs to Natsu's office.

"Enter," I heard Natsu call out as I knocked. I sighed, preparing myself to deal with him before opening the door. I rolled my eyes slightly as I saw Natsu sitting at his desk, his feet propped up on the table. My eyes widened however as I saw he was shirtless, and I could see the rippling muscles on his chest. He was well built and it did make him seem very attractive… Wait. What was I saying? I shook the random thought from my head and tried my best to keep my eyes off his chiseled abs.

"Is my hot bod to distracting for you?" My breath hitched as I heard Natsu speak. He rose from his chair and approached me. Why was he having this profound effect on me? Remember Lucy, tough and serious demeanor.

"No. I'm just here to deliver the money from my sale," I said, retaining my serious composure. He tilted his head.

"You sold it all already? I must say I am impressed. No newbie has ever sold their full stash so fast," Natsu said, grinning slightly. It made me want to punch him. I ignored his praise and pulled out the $300 Lisanna had given me and handed it to him. He skimmed through and counted it quickly.

"Give me one second," He said, walking over to his desk and pulled out a tiny safe. He opened it, putting the money inside. He pulled more out and walked back over to me, standing even closer this time.

"Here is your cut," He said, softly. He extended his hand and handed me $75. For the brief moment our hands touched, I had to admit he had soft hands. It was hard not to admire his physical attractiveness. He noticed me watching him and smiled slightly. He began to move closer to me, his eyes trailing on my lips. Why couldn't I move? Why was I letting him get closer?

"I must say, I love that new look on you," He whispered as he inched even closer, his lips only centimeters from mine. I was frozen. I knew Natsu could easily do whatever he wanted to me. He was stronger than me, and I was unarmed at this moment. I closed my eyes, praying that whatever he was about to do would pass by quickly. I felt his hot breath on my lips as he moved closer. I waited for a second and then felt the hot breath retreat. I opened my eyes and saw Natsu standing there, a mischievous grin on his face. He began to laugh.

"You really are fun to tease," He said, still laughing. I stood there in shock. Natsu had just riled me up for his own amusement. Growing irritated, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. He looked at me, his expression unreadable.

"If you ever try to kiss me again, real or fake, then I will break your fucking arm," I growled, not really caring anymore about what he could do. I expected him to yell at or threaten me, but I was confused when I saw him grin.

"You've got fire. I knew you would do good here," Natsu said as he walked back to his desk. I rolled my eyes and began to walk out of his office.

"Visit Gajeel for your next assignment," Natsu called out before I exited the room. What the hell had just happened in there? Despite my hatred for him and the fact he had been messing around, I had noticed some unspoken, strange chemistry between us. It made me sick to think about, but I had to admit he was attractive. I wasn't going to let that distract me. Natsu deserved to be locked up and I was going to be the one to do it. I rolled my eyes as I went to go find Gajeel so I could get out of here.

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

"Sir?" I looked up as Sting entered my office.

"So did you inspect her car like I asked you to?" I asked. Sting nodded.

"You will never guess what I found," Sting replied, approaching me. My eyes widened as I saw a police badge in his hands, and an identity card. I scanned the identity card.

"Lucy Heartfilia, huh? I knew I was right not to trust her. Does she really believe she is the first cop to try to infiltrate my circle? I will admit, she has spunk and she is good, but I am smarter," I said, handing the badge and card back to Sting.

"Do you want me to dispose of her, sir?" Sting asked. I shook my head.

"No, not yet. She made a good sale today, and she is expendable. I say we let her play out her charade, and when she has brought in enough money, then we will dispose of her," I said, folding my arms close to my chest.

"Should I notify the rest of the crew at least?" Sting questioned.

"No. Despite their loyalty to me, I know some of them would kill her before I was ready if they discovered she was a cop. Keep this information between us and return the stuff to her car before she notices that it is missing. I have somewhere to be," I said, standing from my desk. Sting nodded and exited the room. I quickly threw on a shirt and grabbed a pair of black gloves. Exiting the warehouse, I walked to my car and sped off. I had memorized the address on her ID card, so I decided to go uncover just who this _Lucy Heartfilia_ was. Perhaps I could find some leverage to use against her if she ever discovered that I knew her secret.

Pulling up to the complex, I grabbed a black kit from my glove compartment. Aside from being a drug lord, I was also a master lockpick and a great thief. Walking up to her apartment door, I made sure no one was around before I pulled out my tools. I quietly inserted the pin into the lock and jiggled the tumblers for a moment. I smiled as the lock clicked open. Putting on my gloves, I opened the door and stepped inside. The apartment was plain, just what you would expect for a young cop. I scanned the room for something of use but found nothing. Just random food wrappers, old pieces of mail and random books.

"So she is a lonely bookworm? Not a surprise," I said as I began walking over to her bedroom. I grinned as I saw she had a computer in there. I jiggled the mouse and saw the browser was still open on her Facebook page. I scanned her photos, seeing pictures of her with some blue haired girl she tagged as a "Levy McGarden". I clicked the girl's name and saw that she worked on the corner bookstore down town. I pulled out the notepad I kept in my back pocket and scribbled down her name and her place of employment. Her best friend was perfect leverage. I continued skimming through Lucy's photos and my eyes widened as I saw a photo of a younger Lucy with Lisanna.

"So she was friends with Lisanna? Interesting." I said. Knowing I couldn't stay too long, I exited her room and walked back to the front door. I exited her apartment and began to walk down the stairs.

"Hey! What were you doing in Ms. Heartfilia's apartment?" I turned and saw some middle aged overweight man approaching me. He had a nametag on that read _Larry._

"I am the head of maintenance of these apartments and I will not tolerate thieves. I will report you to Ms. Heartfilia and she will have you arrested!" The man shouted at me.

"Good luck," I said. I quickly pulled the silenced pistol from the holster on my side and shot the man in the head. The man groaned before falling to the ground, dead. Using the man's shirt to wipe up the blood and stop the bleeding, I tried my best to carry the man down the stairs. I quickly dragged him to the van, and I threw him in the back. I checked for any witnesses before getting in the van and speeding off back to the warehouse. No way was I going to let some overweight munchkin ruin what I had in store for my little cop.

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

After a long day back at the precinct, I decided to return home. I could not wait to lay down and forget today's events. Natsu, the attractive yet annoying and smug criminal had gotten under my skin and it made me dislike him even more. Luckily, I only had a few more months tops before I could move in to arrest him. Just thought of putting Natsu behind bars was enough to make me smile. I pulled into my parking lot and walked up to my door. I took out my keys, and immediately felt a panic as I felt it was unlocked. Being a cop, I always made sure to lock my door. Reaching to my hilt, I pulled out my gun and slowly entered the apartment.

"Police! Come out with your hands up!" I shouted, walking into the living room. When there was no response, I scanned the rest of the apartment. After clearing all the rooms, I sighed in relief as no one was here and nothing had been taken. But someone had definitely been here, as I noticed that my mail had been gone through. Who would break into an apartment and not take anything? I shrugged, deciding not to worry about it. I walked to the bathroom, ready to take a bath and relax. I turned the handle to start filling the tub, and I groaned in frustration as the handle snapped off and water began to spurting out from the place where the handle had been.

"Stupid cheap apartment," I said, walking back to the living room to grab my phone. I scrolled through my contacts for the number of Larry, the head of maintenance here. The phone instantly went to voicemail. That was weird. Larry always answered his phone. I sighed as I hung up the phone and went to the kitchen to find the pack of super adhesive I had that Larry had given me if I ever had emergency leaks. Stopping up the leak, I went to my room and decided to mess around on my computer for a bit. Sitting down, I noticed something on my keyboard that made me shake. Wedged between two keys was a single, barely noticeable strand of _pink_ hair. I shuddered as I only knew one person who had pink hair: _Natsu_. Natsu had been here. How did he discover I lived here? My guess was that he had sent someone to follow me. He hadn't closed my browser either, indicating he had been through my Facebook. He was probably looking for information on me. Luckily, I hadn't listed that I was a cop on my profile, but I couldn't rule out the possibility that Natsu knew. I shook my head, knowing that it was probably just my paranoia. If Natsu knew I was a cop, he surely would have sent someone to kill me by now. But I still didn't feel safe here. Grabbing my phone again, I dialed Levy's number.

" _Hey Lucy! How's it going?"_ Levy asked as she answered the phone.

"Not well. I think Natsu broke into my apartment while I was at the office today and I don't feel safe here. Can I come stay with you for a while?" I asked.

" _Oh my… but of course, You can come stay as long as you like."_ Levy replied. I smiled.

"Great. I will be over there shortly," I said as I hung up. I quickly deactivated my Facebook page before wiping the memory from my computer. I grabbed every piece of mail I had and burnt them in the fireplace. I needed to erase every piece of my existence here in case Natsu came back. I grabbed both of my suitcases and filled one with as many clothes and makeup and other essentials as I could. In the other, I took the computer unit itself, all the photos I had of myself and my loved ones in the house and a few books. Grabbing my phone, purse and gun, I wheeled the suitcases with me to the door and exited the house. I moved as quickly as I could to the car in case someone was watching. I quickly packed everything in the trunk, and I peeled off down the street, not looking back.

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

"Who is that?" Gajeel asked as I opened the back of the van to reveal the body of the guy I had killed at Lucy's apartment. I knew I couldn't tell Gajeel the truth, so I thought for a moment.

"Just some man who witnessed me selling today and threatened to call the cops," I said, shrugging.

"Did you bring the old anchor?" I asked. Gajeel nodded as he gestured to the anchor next to him.

"Good, now tie it to his leg," I ordered. Gajeel moved the anchor towards the man and tied the chain from the anchor around the man's thigh. I got into the van and backed it up as close to the edge of the pier as I could. Getting out, both Gajeel and I pushed the man's body and the anchor into the waters below. I sighed in relief as the anchor was heavy enough to drag the man's body below the surface until it was out of sight.

"Come Gajeel, we have more work to do," I said, closing the van doors. He nodded as he followed me back to the warehouse. My thoughts trailed back to Lucy. I had to be more cautious in my approaches with her now that I knew she was a cop. I had built this empire up too much to let some naïve girl tear it down, and soon she would realize the carelessness of her mistake. I was Natsu Dragneel, the most powerful drug lord in the whole city and she was going to learn that the hard way, but not before I exploited her for everything she had. I was going to make this girl bring in as much money as possible, and even possibly use her to eliminate a few of my enemies and then I would put a bullet in her head and make her disappear just as easily as I had the guy we just dumped into the pier. Although, a part of me thought back to the moment we had exchanged in the office, when she had been oggling my body and when our hands had brushed for the brief moment. Even though I had been messing with her, I had felt a certain, faint pull between us. She was beautiful, I give her that and I was certainly not knew to the world of women, and if she hadn't been a cop, then maybe I could have had some fun with her. I stopped myself. This was a cop I was talking about, a person capable of crumbling my entire operation. She was just a pretty face, and whatever pull I had felt was nothing more than a fleeting moment of distraction. But even saying this, my mind told me that when the time came, I might not be able to take her life.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this update! Expect more soon! Drop a review and let me know how I did. And be sure to go check out my other ongoing NaLu fic, Back to You, if you haven't already! Thanks and see you for the next one!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Back again! Hope you guys enjoy this update!**

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" I looked up at Natsu, his onyx eyes staring into mine with such raw emotion. I trailing my finger down his bare chest, smiling as I traced every muscle line. He shivered slightly as a soft moan escaped his lips. Leaning forward, he kissed me hungrily as his hands wrapped around me, bringing me closer to him. I moaned slightly as his tongue found it's way between my lips, sliding against my tongue. His lips tasted amazing, warm and smoky and I just couldn't bring myself to pull away until we needed to come up for air.

"I don't care about anything anymore. I just want you so bad right now," I said, answering Natsu's question from moments ago. He grinned as he kissed me again and began unbuttoning his pants…

My eyes flashed open as I found myself on the floor in Levy's room, the sunlight slowly creeping in through the blinds. What. The. Fuck. I had just had a sex dream about _Natsu_. I just lied there, too shocked to move. I felt disgusted, like I was about to throw up. What was my mind doing to me? Like I would ever do ANYTHING romantic or sexual with that man, no matter how physically attractive he was. He was a horrible person. A drug kingpin, a murderer, a thief and lord knows what else.

"Lucy? Are you okay? You look kind of green," I looked as I saw Levy enter the room, a cup of tea in her hands.

"If I tell you, do you promise not to freak out and judge me?" I asked, sitting up on the air mattress. She nodded as she came to sit next to me, handing me the cup of tea she had. I took a deep breath, fearing I may actually vomit once I said the words aloud.

"I uh may have just had a sex dream about Natsu," I had to physically gulp down the bile rising in my throat. I saw Levy's jaw literally drop.

"You what?!" Levy asked, her eyes wide.

"I know. I can't believe it either. And just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach," I said, trying to ignore the nausea.

"Do you want to do that with him?" Levy looked at me curiously. I felt even more repulsed.

"Gods no! I mean yes, he is very handsome but he is such a horrible guy and I would never stoop so low as to having sex with a criminal," I said, crossing my arms.

"So you're saying if he wasn't a criminal then you would?" Levy smirked at me.

"No. Nothing is ever going to happen between me and Natsu. The only things I want to do to him are punch him in the nose and lock his smug ass away forever," I said, sipping at my tea.

"I'm sorry, this is just the first time you've had a sex dream about a guy," Levy commented. I looked at her for a moment, realizing she was right. I had only had three boyfriends in my life and never once had I had a sex dream about any of them. So what made Natsu different? I certainly didn't have feelings for him, we had just met and the thought of that dream alone had utterly repulsed me to the point I had almost thrown up. I was about to respond when the burner phone in my pocket buzzed. I had gotten a burner phone to communicate with Natsu so he would never have my real number. I flipped it open and read the text. I rolled my eyes when I saw it was Natsu.

" _Get to the warehouse, I have an assignment for you,"_

"I need to go. His royal smugness awaits," I said, standing up to go to the bathroom to get dressed.

"Have fun. Don't go down on him too fast," Levy giggled slightly.

"Haha," I replied sarcastically as I went to get dressed and head for the warehouse. How was I going to face him now? I already hated him and now that dream was in the back of my mind. Just thinking about Natsu was starting to make me ill. I sighed, deciding I would deal with it later. I would never admit it and it made me even more nauseous to think about, but a very small part of me kind of enjoyed the dream.

"Finally, took you long enough," Natsu said as I entered. I immediately felt nauseous as I looked at him, the dream beginning to play through my head. I clutched my stomach lightly.

"What? No snarky reply?" Natsu asked, smirking at me.

"What do you want?" I tried my best to choke the words out. I could literally feel the vomit rising as the dream continuously played in my head.

"I have a special assignment for you today. I need you to dispose of someone," My eyes widened as Natsu spoke.

"You want me to assassinate someone?" I felt horrified as Natsu nodded. What was I going to do? I was a cop. I couldn't kill someone, no matter how deep undercover I was. But I had already sold drugs, so did it really matter? I shook the thoughts from my head. No Lucy, you have a duty to the people. Still, I knew that Natsu would surely kill me or kick me out of his circle if I failed.

"Is there a problem, Layla?" Natsu asked, using my fake name. I knew he knew that wasn't my real name but he didn't know I knew that. I didn't want to confront him on breaking in to my apartment until all of this over.

"Why me? Why not a more experienced person like Gajeel or Gray?" I asked. I was genuinely curious as to why Natsu, a trained killer and master criminal, would choose a newbie like me to eliminate one of his enemies.

"Well, you've proven yourself to be an avid dealer, but now I need to assess your other skills. If you do this, then I will start giving you higher end drugs to sell and let you take home bigger cuts," Natsu said. I didn't care what he offered however, as any money I earned here was getting donated to a charity. I refused to keep money I obtained illegally. However, I need to feign interest to keep my cover.

"That's not a bad deal, I accept," I said, trying to maintain a serious demeanor despite the growing need to punch him right now. He smiled.

"Just what I was hoping for," Natsu said, walking behind his desk. He dug around in a drawer for a moment before pulling out a piece of paper. He handed it to me and I instantly froze with shock. It was a report on my partner, Erza Scarlet. He wanted me to kill Erza? Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be a friend?

"Her name is Erza Scarlet, an officer with the Fiore PD. She has spotted near the warehouse several times and I need her removed before she uncovers our operation," Natsu instructed. I felt a rush of panic. What was I going to do? Erza was my partner and my friend. But if I didn't kill her and keep my cover then surely Natsu would surely kill me. Maybe I could talk to Erza and we could figure something out.

"It shall be done," I said, nodding slightly. I turned away from Natsu, clutching the paper close to my chest for a second before leaving the room. I quickly ran to my car and called Erza, asking her to meet me in a isolated location outside of town, just in case Natsu sent a tail after me.

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

"That was quite an ingenious idea, sending that poor girl to kill her own partner," Sting commented, entering the office after Lucy had left.

"I had one of my old hacker friends hack the police stations system, and I uncovered many things about our dear 'Layla'. I am going to use her to make us tons of cash and eliminate my enemies at the same time. By the time I am done with her, she will be so broken that I may not even need to kill her," I said, leaning back in my chair. I was feeling quite impressed with my handiwork.

"Masterful thinking as always, boss," Sting grinned. I smiled slightly as I pulled a cigarette from my pocket. I lit it and took a few drags as I thought about the events to come.

"Tell Gajeel to send Gray and Minerva out, we need to bring in some more cash today," I told Sting in between drags. He nodded before exiting the office. I propped my feet up on my desk as I thought about Lucy. Was I really doing the right thing by torturing this girl? I thought about the exchange we had a few days ago, when I had felt that strange, ever so slight, pull between us. What was that connection? Why had I sensed it? Could it be possible that fate brought us together for a different reason? I shook my head. Get a grip Natsu, she is the enemy. Connection or not, she was duty bound to lock me away and I was duty bound to stop her no matter the cost. Still, the same questions hung in the back of my mind as I closed my eyes and fell asleep in my chair.

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

I sat in my car in the middle of the field, waiting for Erza to show up. I stared at the report in my hand and the gun in my lap. Hopefully Erza and I could find a different solution, because even though we weren't like best friends, she was still my partner and I cared about her. I gulped slightly as I saw headlights approaching in the rearview. It was now or never. I took a deep breath as I stepped out of the car.

"What did you want to talk about?" Erza got out of the car as I approached. I shook as I begin to feel tears brim in the corners of my eyes.

"Natsu uh… asked me to kill you. Apparently he has seen you snooping around the warehouse and wants you gone," I said, my voice beginning to shake. Erza was silent, just staring past me into the distance.

"But I can't do it. Aside from it being wrong, you are still my friend," I wiped away the few tears that had made it down my face.

"What do you propose we do then?" Erza asked, returning her gaze to me.

"Maybe you could leave town? Just until I put Natsu away," I suggested. After a moment, Erza shook her head.

"That's not a life. I don't just want to leave my friends, or my husband. And we don't know how long it will be until you put Natsu away," Erza said. I was dreading what I knew was coming.

"So what are you saying?" I asked. My dreading got worse as Erza gave me a solemn look.

"Just kill me. If you don't, Natsu will just send someone else. Just promise me that you will put that bastard away and end this," Erza took my hand in hers. I held it for a moment as tears began to fall steadily down my face.

"What do I tell Laxus? What do I tell Jellal?" I asked between sobs.

"Tell them I simply died in the line of duty. Don't worry Lucy, you are an amazing cop and I know you will take that bastard down," Erza smiled slightly, letting go of my hand. I slowly pulled the gun from my holster, the tears flowing even harder now. I aimed it at her, unsteadily as my hand was rapidly shaking. The tears were streaming now and I could barely breathe. My eyes stung. Erza nodded, giving me one last small smile. I closed my eyes, and with every ounce of strength I had left, I slowly pulled the trigger. It was time slowed down. I shook in rack of sobs as I heard the bullet hit her and a thud as her body hit the ground. I couldn't even bring myself to look at her. I felt so guilty and ashamed. This was wrong, even if Erza had approved of it. I knew now that I had to honor her wishes and put Natsu away for good. He had just targeted one of my friends. This was now personal. I returned to my car, still sobbing, not aware of the fact that a man with pink hair had witnessed the entire scene from the distant tree line.

* * *

 **A/N: Drop a review and let me know what you think! See you soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So you all were pretty shocked by last chapter's events. But fear not, I have a few twists in mind that should ease your minds a bit. I wouldn't be a good author if I wasn't a little cruel *chuckles a bit*. Anyways, enjoy this update!**

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

I looked down at my burner phone as it beeped. It was a text from Natsu.

" _Saw your handiwork. Must say I am impressed. Meet me at the warehouse here soon,"_

I rolled my eyes as I shut the phone. So my suspicions had been correct; Natsu had been watching. I probably should explain. Remember my phone call with Erza where I asked her to meet me? Well, there is more to that conversation that I let on;

" _Hey Lucy? What's up?" Erza asked after answering the phone. I gulped, unsure of how to tell her my news._

" _Natsu gave me an uh.. assignment," My voice wavered a bit._

" _What kind of assignment?" I took a deep breath as I heard a tinge of nervousness in Erza's voice as well._

" _He ordered me to assassinate you. But I have a plan," I said, my voice still shaking a bit. Out of all the things I had done in my life, telling my friend I had been ordered to kill them was one of the hardest._

" _Go on," Erza said a few moments._

" _I'm out in an abandoned field outside of town to the west off the main highway. I saw a van matching Natsu's following me most of the way before turning off a side road just a few feet down the road. I am sure Natsu is going to be observing my handiwork, so I want you to wear a bulletproof vest when you come. We will stage a shooting and you will play dead for a while until we are sure Natsu leaves," I explained my idea._

" _Sounds doable, but how will we get Natsu to buy it?" Erza asked. She had a good point. Natsu already didn't trust me._

" _We both just try our hardest to act like this conversation never happened. I'll break down in tears or something," I said. I just hoped I could muster the tears when the time came._

" _And what about after you've 'killed' me? Where will I go?" Another good question as usual._

" _You can come stay with Levy and I for a while. Just tell Jellal and Laxus you are working on an undercover assignment out of town," I said._

" _Very well. I will be there soon. I just hope this plan works," Erza said before hanging up. She wasn't the only one._

My attention snapped back to reality as I heard the faint roar of a car starting up in the distance. Looking in my rearview, I saw the lights of a car behind a tree line in the distance. They headed back to the main road and headed off in the direction of the main highway. That had to have been Natsu, or so I hoped. Waiting a few more moments, I flashed my brights, signaling to Erza that the coast was clear. After a few seconds, Erza got in the car. We both breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Looks like your plan worked," Erza said, leaning back in her seat.

"Sorry you got dragged in to this," I took her hand in mine. She squeezed mine slightly.

"Just keep your promise and put that bastard away," Erza said, smiling weakly. Her entire face was ridden with exhaustion. She must have been putting in a lot of late nights at the precinct again.

"Go ahead and rest," I said. Erza nodded as she let go of my hand and closed her eyes. I turned the car around and headed back into the city. I sighed slightly, trying my best to focus on the road despite my own exhaustion. I had managed to outsmart Natsu this time, but who knows what would come with whatever else he was planning to throw at me. This job kept getting more and more complicated. First, I had to illegally sell drugs. Next, I had realized just how attractive Natsu actually was, which led me to having a _sexual_ dream about him. Gross. And then he broke in to my house, and now he sent me to kill my partner. Even after all this, something told me that this wasn't going to be the end of the trouble that Natsu was going to give me. After about half an hour of driving, we arrived back at Levy's. We quickly filled Levy in on the situation, who then happily agreed to let Erza stay there. I bid them farewell, as Natsu had asked me to meet him.

"Took you long enough," Natsu said as I entered his office. Due to my exhaustion, I couldn't even formulate a snarky reply.

"Had to bury the body and dispose of her car," I said, yawning slightly as I did so.

"I'm impressed. Didn't think you had it in you," Natsu said, smiling a bit.

"There is a lot you don't know about me," I countered back, trying not to yawn more.

"I suppose so," Natsu said, rising from his desk. I gulped slightly as his bare chest was once again in full view.

"Do you ever wear a shirt?" My eyes however never left his abs. He followed my gaze, looking down at his chest.

"Do my muscles make you nervous?" He grinned at me.

"Why would your gross, sweaty skin ever make me nervous?" I crossed my arms, finally tearing my eyes from his chest. He chuckled.

"Touché," He winked at me, making me want to vomit. He walked over to the mini fridge by his desk and pulled out two beers. I stood still as he approached me, handing me one of the beers.

"What is this for?" I took the beer, eyeing Natsu cautiously.

"Just to celebrate a job well done," Natsu cracked the tab on his can and began taking a sip. Actually craving some alcohol after tonight's events, I did the same. We drank in silence for a few moments until my phone began ringing. I set my beer on his desk and stepped away to answer it.

"Hello?" I asked as I answered the call.

" _Is this Lucy Heartfilia?" A voice asked from the other side of the phone._

"This is," I replied.

" _My name is Doctor Johnson from the Magnolia General Hospital. I am calling to inform you that your father has been hospitalized due to pancreatic cancer,"_ My hands immediately began to shake as tears began to brim in my eyes.

"Th-Thank you, Doctor," I choked out before hanging up the phone. Tears were now steadily streaming down my face as the phone fell from my hands. I immediately fell to my knees, my face buried in my hands as tears leaked through my fingers and stained the concrete floor.

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

I was minding my own business, trying not to pay too much attention to "Layla's" call. That is, until I heard sniffling come from her direction. I turned to see the phone fall out of her hands as she fell to the ground and I could see the stains of tears on the concrete in front of her. What should I do? If I wanted to keep up the lie that I didn't know who she was, then I should try to comfort her right? I rolled my eyes. Touchy feely stuff really wasn't my thing.

"What is wrong?" I approached the girl from behind. She sobbed away, not replying. I sighed as I lowered myself to the ground next to her.

"Why do you care?" She mumbled out between sobs. I really didn't but if I was going to keep up this lie then I needed to act like I did.

"Well it isn't everyday that one of my subordinates just throws themselves on the ground and cries," I said, trying to give her my best concerned tone.

"Not that it is any of your business, but my father was just hospitalized due to cancer," My eyes widened slightly. My own father had abandoned me at a young age, so I knew the pain to an extent.

"I'm sorry," I said, softly. Even though I was faking my concern mostly, there was a small part of me that actually felt for her, due to my own experiences. But I mostly didn't care.

"Just give me as much alcohol as you have," Lucy turned to me suddenly. Her eyes were red and puffy, and there were numerous bags under them.

"Are you sure that's wise?" I asked. The last thing I needed was some sad, drunk cop running around my office.

"Just do it!" Lucy shouted. Sighing in defeat, I walked over to the mini fridge and grabbed the last five cans of beer that were left. I watched in utter amazement as I saw Lucy chug down her current one and then tear through the other five like they were a bag of chips. I had never seen a girl drink like that.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked after a few moments. I helped Lucy to her feet, needing to hold on to her as she was really wobbly.

"You've got really strong arms, ya' know?" Lucy's words were so slurred that I barely understood them.

"Thanks?" I felt uncomfortable as she stared at me with some weird gaze in her bloodshot eyes. Her cheeks were tinged pink and her breath smelled like all the beer she had drank.

"I actually had a dream about you. We fucked hard against your desk," My jaw literally dropped when her slurred sentence came out. Did this girl know what she was really saying right now? I was beginning to regret letting her drink all that beer. I said nothing, just keeping my arms wrapped around her waist so she didn't topple over.

"I keep thinking. You're annoying. And smug. But also really hot. Like I see your chest and I am just like, _holy shit!"_ Her words were almost incomprehensible. I had to admit, it was kind of cute watching her fuss over me. I was about to reply when I felt a pair of warm lips slam against mine. My eyes widened as Lucy rubbed her hands up and down my chest, giggling slightly into the kiss. Damn, even for a drunk girl, she could kiss. I wonder how she could kiss sober? I shook the thought from my head. No Natsu, stop thinking such idiotic things. Despite my urge to pull away, I couldn't. This girl had me under some type of spell. I pulled her closer to me, taking as much of her kiss in as I could. Even when tasting like alcohol, her lips were soft and tender, and they were just really compelling. She moaned slightly as my tongue wiggled it's way between her lips, caressing her own tongue softly. This was way better than any other girl I had kissed. Wait. Why was I enjoying this so much? She was the enemy! My urge to stop was heightened when she began to unbutton my pants. I knew this had to stop. This was wrong. And I knew that I had no feelings for this girl, despite her _amazing_ kissing.

"Stop. We can't." I said, removing my mouth from hers. She looked at me with a very drunk, tired and angry expression.

"But I want tooooo!" She whined out, slurring every word. I wouldn't lie that I was tempted but I knew I couldn't get involved with some cop. She was bad news, just as I am sure I was in her eyes. My plan to eventually eliminate her still stood.

"No. You're sad and drunk. You need to go sleep this off," I said. Just as I had spoken, Lucy's eyes began closing as she collapsed in my arms. I rolled my eyes as I lifted her and took her to my private room I had set aside in the warehouse. She mumbled random things in her sleep but I paid no attention as I was too busy thinking about everything. Did that really just happen? Why did I let it continue for so long? Did she really dream about us having sex? Was this annoying cop girl falling for me? I shook my head as I thought about it more. This was nothing more than drunk ramblings of a girl wallowed in sadness, and that kiss had been nothing more than the actions of said drunk girl. There was nothing going on with us, and I knew she wouldn't remember this tomorrow. Rolling my eyes, I set her down on the bed in the room and tucked her in. She better appreciate the fact that I was letting her use my bed. And that I had let her drink all my alcohol.

"Annoying girl," I muttered as I sat down in the recliner in the corner. Closing my eyes, I let sleep consume me, trying to forget the events that had occurred.

* * *

"WHERE THE HELL AM I?!" My eyes shot open as I saw Lucy sitting up on my bed, looking horrified.

"Why do I have a headache? Did you drug and kidnap me? I swear to god, Natsu Dragneel, I will kick your-," But I stopped her rant as I shook my head.

"You came to meet with me and we began to drink to celebrate your work. Then you got a call saying your dad is in the hospital with cancer, and then you drank too much and passed out. I didn't know where you lived to drive you home so I let you sleep here," I said, deciding not to tell her _all_ of last night's events. She would probably slap me again or worse.

"Oh my god. I don't remember anything. Where is my phone?" She asked. I gestured to the bedside table. She grabbed it quickly and skimmed through it.

"The number is from Magnolia Hospital. I need to go see him right now," She threw the covers off of herself and began to move around in a hurry. Her idea had peaked my interest. Maybe if I accompanied her, I could learn her father's precise location and possibly use him as leverage over her in the future. I know that was extra cruel and low, but after the kiss last night, my resolve to ruin her only strengthened. I wasn't going to let one girl mess with my head. The kiss meant nothing and I was going to prove it by ruining her.

"Well considering you are still hungover and exhausted, do you want me to go with you?" I offered. She turned and looked at me with a bewildered expression.

"Why?" She asked, suspiciously.

"As I mentioned, you are still hungover and exhausted. And I know your pain," I said. She studied me for a moment before sighing.

"I want to say no but I don't have time to debate this. You drive," She sighed. I rolled my eyes. This girl was too difficult sometimes.

"Take the keys and head down to my van. I will be down in a minute," I said. Lucy nodded as she took the keys and vanished from the room.

"Gajeel!" I shouted. I waited a few moments until the black haired man appeared in the doorway.

"Yes, boss?" He asked. I grabbed a shirt quickly and threw it on.

"I am heading to Magnolia for the day. Keep an eye on things," I said.

"Will do," Gajeel replied. I nodded as I exited the room. My favorite thing about Gajeel was that never asked questions. And this time in particular, I am glad that he didn't. I went down t the van where Lucy waited. Plugging the address of the hospital into my GPS, we took off for Magnolia. We had about a three hour drive since we were coming from Acalypha, which sucked, as I felt a little awkward being alone her after what happened. I breathed a sigh of relief as I turned and saw she was already falling asleep. Now Lucy Heartfilia, let's get some information on your father, shall we? I grinned wickedly to myself. I really was a master criminal.

* * *

 **A/N: And that is a wrap! Hope you guys enjoyed their little drunken fluff moment! And if you are curious as to why Lucy is allowing Natsu to go, that will be fully explained in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and drop a review to let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here I am updating this story again. This story should have been complete already but my absence from FF took it's took. But I planned out the rest of this story so I am ready to get rolling. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

The biggest question probably bouncing around anyone's head right now is why I would let Natsu, someone I utterly disliked, go along with me to visit my sick father. Well, aside from the hangover and lack of sleep, I wanted to keep an eye on Natsu. He had broken into my apartment and had been watching Erza, so getting him out of Acalypha was my best option right now. I was not going to let him in the room with my father of course, but I felt better knowing Natsu would be nearby and not doing illegal things like breaking in to my apartment again.

"You finally awake?" I turned to the sound of Natsu's voice. He had tired bags under his eyes, and his voice sounded as exhausted as I felt.

"Getting bored?" I replied sharply. I had no interest in talking to him, and it was torture enough being in the same car as him.

"I like sleeping you better. Less mouthy," Natsu retorted. If we weren't driving, I would've punched him in the nose.

"Are you always so smug and irritating?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Only when the company is," He grinned at me. I rolled my eyes. The ego on this guy was just astonishing. We sat in silence for a while, Natsu focusing on the road and I spent the time looking out the window at the passing blue sky.

"I'm sorry about your dad," My eyes widened as I looked over at Natsu.

"Didn't know you were capable of being nice," I said, crossing my arms.

"Says the woman who got drunk and I let sleep at my place," Natsu replied.

"One time thing," I waved my hand, dismissing the thought.

"But I am serious. I lost my parents as I told you," Natsu said, a bit of a haunted look on his face.

"When my mom died, he was all I had," I said. My throat clenched slightly as I thought of the night of my mother's death.

"I'm sure he will be happy you are visiting him," Was that empathy I detected in Natsu's voice.

"Since when did you care so much?" I felt even more confused when Natsu chuckled.

"I don't. I can just relate, that's all," Natsu responded. I mentally shrugged. I should've known he didn't care. He had no reason to. We were just associates and that was it.

"Such a charmer," The words slipped off my lips with such noticeable sarcasm.

"Especially last night," Natsu laughed. I shot him a confused glance.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. What the hell did I do last night?

"Oh, nothing," Natsu said with a cheeky grin. I sighed, giving up on wondering. Natsu wouldn't tell me if he didn't want to.

"Only five more minutes," Natsu nodded to the sign pointing to the hospital. I sighed in relief. Soon I could get out of this car and put some distance between Natsu and me. We rode in silence the rest of the way. I felt strangely awkward. Natsu had been empathetic, and I could tell something happened between us last night by how he was alluding to it. I would get him to tell me eventually.

"Finally here," I said as we pulled in to the hospital parking lot. We got out and headed inside to the main lobby.

"Wait here," I told Natsu as I pointed to the waiting area. Natsu nodded, taking a seat in one of the chairs. I walked over to the front desk.

"May I help you?" The woman looked up from her computer.

"I need to visit Jude Heartfilia. I am his daughter," I said. She nodded, typing on her computer for a few moments.

"Looks like he is on the fourth floor in room 237," The woman replied, returning her gaze to me.

"Thank you," The woman nodded as I walked away. I gestured for Natsu to follow me as we headed for the elevator. My breath hitched in my throat as we rode the elevator up. I hadn't been in a hospital since my mother passed away, and now the thought of seeing my father lying in that hospital bed was truly shaking me to the core.

"Relax. This is one of the best hospitals in Fiore. He will be fine," Natsu said, noticing my anxious motions. I nodded, not saying anything. We arrived on the fourth floor.

"Would you mind waiting out here?" I asked as we approached my father's room.

"If that's what you want," Natsu shrugged as he leaned against the wall. I thanked everything that he was not being difficult right now. I took a deep breath as I went in to the room.

"Hey Dad," My voice came out shakily as I approached the bed he was lying in. His eyes shifted from the TV to me, his gaze brightening slightly.

"Darling! You're here. I was afraid you may not come," My heart lurched at how weak my father sounded.

"Of course I came. Why wouldn't I?" I asked, taking a seat next to his bed.

"Because I became a terrible father after your mother died," My father reached for my hand, his arm steadily shaking. I took it quickly, not realizing how much I missed my father until now.

"You were overcome by grief. I understand," I gave my father a small smile, despite my desperate need to cry. My father looked pale, exhausted and weak. It made my heart feel heavy.

"You look so much like her now. She would be so proud of the woman you have become," A couple of tears leaked out of my father. I knew by his expression that we were thinking of the same thing; the night she died.

" _Mama! Are you okay?" A five year old me cried out as I saw my mother cough up more blood in her hospital bed._

" _I am afraid not, my dear. But worry not, no matter what happens tonight, I will always be with you," She smiled weakly._

" _Should I get the doctor, my love?" My father approached my mother, taking her frail hand in his._

" _No. I know that there is nothing I can do. Just take good care of our darling girl," My mother rested her forehead against my father's, tears falling from both of their closed eyes._

" _I promise, Layla. I promise," Was the last thing my father said before the rapid beeping of the machines fell flat._

"How terribly I failed that promise," My father's voice echoed in to my thoughts, as if he had seen exactly what I had just seen. I shook my head.

"Mother was your true love. I don't blame you for anything," I squeezed his hand slightly. My father gave me the strongest smile he could muster.

"Who is that?" My father nodded to Natsu standing in the hall, the boy's expression unreadable as he watched our exchange.

"Just someone I work with. He drove me up here to see you," I replied. I knew if I told my Dad the truth about Natsu, he would surely begin yelling and stressing out, and I did not want to make his condition worse.

"Really? He seems like a nice boy," I saw Natsu's eyes widen a bit as my father said that. I felt bad, because in my mind I knew Natsu was a horrible person. He killed, he stole and he was a master criminal. But I also thought of his recent kindness; how he had taken care of me when I had gotten drunk, and how he had wasted his time to drive me up here. Could it be possible that underneath all the crime that Natsu was a good person?

"I suppose he is," I turned back to my father, not sure if I had meant the words I had just said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Natsu shift uncomfortably before walking away.

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

"Really? He seems like a nice boy," My eyes widened as I heard her father speak. I was shocked. No one had ever called me a nice boy before, even before I had become a drug lord. For some odd reason, those words had struck me hard. No one had ever thought of me as a kind person, not even myself. I lifted my head, waiting for Lucy to disagree with her father. Our eyes locked for a moment, a million thoughts running through her gaze, like she was thinking about what to say.

"I suppose he is," Lucy turned back to her father. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. I was sure that Lucy was going to spill what she knew about me. But no, she had agreed I was a nice person. I suddenly felt a weird feeling drop to my stomach, and I needed to get some air. Taking out my phone, I texted Lucy that I was going outside for a cigarette. Moving as fast as I could, I made my way to the elevator and down to the lobby. Ignoring the receptionist's farewell, I hurried outside. Once I was a legal distance from the hospital, I pulled a cigarette out from the pack. I sparked it up, taking a few much needed drags. What was happening to me? Why had their words affected me so much?

" _Just someone I work with. He drove me up here to see you,"_

" _Really? He seems like a nice boy,"_

" _I suppose he is,"_

Tears began to fall down my face. I was nowhere near a nice person. Not after all the things I had done. After my father abandoned me, I was thrown in to some run down boy's orphanage. The staff was nice enough, but I was always teased by the other kid for my pink hair and not being wanted by my father. I was bullied at school, and I always failed every class. I could never get jobs and I could never make friends. Until my freshman year, when I met Lisanna at a park in Apalcypha, where she had been selling weed and pills. We began to talk and smoke together, and slowly she became my first friend. As time went by, I began selling with her, falling in love with how much money I was making. A life of crime is never what I wanted, but years of bullying, pain and the inability to get jobs had made the pull of selling even more compelling.

" _You alright dude? You look pretty bummed," I turned to see a girl with short white hair approaching me._

" _Just don't want to go back to that stupid group home tonight," I said, shrugging slightly._

" _Want a hit? Takes the edge off," I turned to look at the blunt she was holding out in her hand. I had never done drugs before, but with the way I was feeling, I felt a terrible urge to say yes. Nodding, I took the blunt and inhaled a ton. I immediately began coughing as the weed burned my throat._

" _First time?" She asked, taking a seat on the bench next to me. I nodded as I handed the blunt back to her. We began to talk and smoke, and slowly I had begun to feel slightly better._

Near the end of our junior year, we had begun to date. I had fallen deeply in love with Lisanna, or so I had thought at the time. We talked about expanding our business, and slowly over the summer we had set up a nice little operation from her old home. She showed me everything she knew about selling, and I had used the money I earned to take her out on dates or buy her nice things. As our business grew, we began to talk about getting a place together and settling down in the future. This had all been ruined one night however, as some of the people in the operation began to prefer me over Lisanna. They started rumors of how Lisanna was cheating on me and planning on getting rid of me when our business had taken off enough. They suggested I start my own operation and to dispose of Lisanna before she could dispose of me. As time passed slowly, I began to buy in to their words. So one night, the night before our graduation to be more precise, Gray and Gajeel set fire to her house, the fire that nearly wiped out her family. In the ensuing chaos, I stole all the money she had stashed in the basement and fled along with Gray, Gajeel, Sting and Rogue. As we ran from the house, I heard Lisanna calling my name. I never once stopped to turn back. And all those moments had led up to now. Even though I hadn't set the fire, I had indirectly ruined Lisanna's life, ruined her family. Could I really do that to another person? Part of me found it justified, since my own family had been taken, but the other part still remembered Lisanna calling after me that night, and it had always hung over me. The night I had begun to fall in to depravity. I knew I could never erase a life of crime, or all the horrible things I had done, but maybe I could do the right thing this time. I knew that if I used Lucy's father as leverage over her that it would corrupt me beyond redemption. I still planned on breaking her for deceiving me, but I didn't have it in me to ruin another family. Especially after they both called me kind. I had just finished my second cigarette when I heard footsteps approaching behind me. I turned to see Lucy walking up to me.

"You took off fast," Lucy eyed me suspiciously.

"Just needed some air," I said, shrugging. She stared at me for a moment, contemplating something.

"Look, I still think you are a shady prick, but you didn't have to look after me last night or waste your day coming with me. So thanks," She gave me a half smile.

"Don't mention it," I replied. She studied me for a moment before looking off in distance.

"I'm getting hungry. Want to stop somewhere to eat?" I asked. She nodded slowly and we headed back to the van. After today's events, a new air hung between us. One still plagued with dislike, but some sort of lighter feeling had broken through. We kept silent as we drove to a nearby diner.

"Just a Coke for me," I told the waitress after we set down.

"Water is fine," Lucy told her. The waitress nodded, winking at me before walking away. Don't tell me this woman was going to hit on me. After high school, I had begun to work out and really give a shit about my looks. As time went on, more women began to notice me and I became kind of a playboy outside of my drug business. Random woman would hit on me and I would often have one night stands with them. But as my business grew, I began to grow out of that. I hadn't even had a real relationship since Lisanna.

"So is your father going to be alright?" I turned to Lucy, needing a break from thinking about Lisanna.

"The doctor said that he has progressed far, but not far enough that they think they can't cure him," Lucy said.

"That's good," I said, feeling slightly relieved. Not for Lucy herself, but for her father. Watching him interact with Lucy, I had deduced that he was a good man. We eventually ordered our food and began to eat. We didn't really talk, that weird air still hanging between us. Eventually, it was time to pay our bill.

"I've got it," I said, grabbing the book before Lucy could. She said nothing, just looked at me confused. She said nothing however as I threw some cash in it, enough to give the waitress a good tip.

"Let me run to the bathroom real quick, then we can go," I said. She nodded as I got up to head over to the bathroom. Once I was inside, I went over to the urinal to free my bladder from the urgency. Once I was finished, I walked over to the sink to wash my hands. Before I exited the restroom, my phone began to ring.

"Hello?" I asked, answering the phone.

" _Sorry to bother you, sir,"_ I heard Gajeel's heavy voice echo through the phone. He sounded panicked.

"What is it?" I asked. Couldn't this wait? I wanted to get back to Lucy. Wait. What the fuck did I just think?

" _Rogue was just arrested,"_ My eyes widened. Rogue was one of my best dealers. Whoever nabbed him had to be good.

"Do you know who arrested him?" I asked.

" _You'll never believe this, but according to the news report, it was Erza Scarlet,"_ I nearly dropped the phone. Erza Scarlet? How was that even possible? I had seen Lucy kill her. My body began to tense witj anger. Those two had pulled a fast on me, hadn't they? I take back what I thought earlier. I wanted to be nowhere near Lucy except to wring her scrawny neck. To think that I had even given up on using her father for leverage. Peeking out the bathroom door, I glared at the back of Lucy's head. She played me, and now I was going to play her. This woman had no idea what is coming for her.

"Go ahead and take a few of the others to the prison and initiate the escape protocol," I said through the phone. We had a few men on the inside as guards, and we had long since set up and escape protocol in case I or any of the main members of the circle had been arrested.

" _Right away, sir,"_ I hung up the phone after Gajeel spoke. The game was afoot.

"You messed with the wrong man, Lucy Heartfilia," I whispered under my breath.

* * *

 **A/N: Is it bad that I am in love with this story and am already updating 24 hours later? Lol. Anyway, drop a review and give me your thoughts! See you soon for the next one!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here I am again updating this story. This story is going to be my main focus for the time being. So if any of you read my other on going NaLu story Back to You then just know it will be a minute until I update that one. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this update.**

 **(This chapter will actually be all in Natsu's POV)**

* * *

" _What is all that noise?" Lisanna asked. She was referring to all the noise coming from outside where the other members of the gang were hanging._

" _Don't worry, babe. They are just messing around," I smiled at her before kissing her. In truth, I knew what they were doing outside. Gray and Gajeel were setting her house up so they could set it ablaze. Not a plan that I really approved of, but they were dead set on it. I pulled away quickly as my kisses with Lisanna had become dull, and luckily this would be the last night of them._

" _Can you believe we are graduating tomorrow? Our future is-" but Lisanna was cut off as Mirajane burst in to the room, a worried look on her face._

" _The house has caught fire! Lis, come with me to wake our parents and Elfman. Natsu, if you could be a dear and call 911?" Mirajane hurried out of the room with Lisanna in tow. I waited a few moments before making my to Lisanna's closet. Rummaging past the boxes and clothed, I found the safe where she kept the drug money and her stash. I had memorized the code long ago, so cracking it open was no problem. I coughed slightly as smoke began to trickle in to the room. I quickly grabbed the cash and as much of her stash as I could stuff in my pockets. I quickly bolted out the back door to where the other guys were waiting. Wasting no time, we took off down the sidewalk._

" _Natsu? Natsu, come back!" I heard Lisanna calling out to me as we ran. I didn't look back as the guys and I disappeared in to the night._

"Are you okay?" My eyes shot open as I found myself in my office, Lucy standing on the other side of my desk. I shook my head as I realized I had fallen asleep.

"Yeah, just a bad dream," I said, shaking myself awake. It had been years since that dream had plagued my mind. Why did it start again? Could it have to do with happened at the hospital yesterday?

"Not surprising, you've barely slept since we got back early this morning," Lucy noted, gesturing to the heavy bags under my eyes.

"Did you need something?" I asked. I really had no interest in seeing her after I had discovered that she and Erza had tricked me.

"Gajeel sent me to get an assignment," Lucy gave me a bored expression.

"Just tell him that I want you to head to the same place, same stuff," I replied. Lucy nodded as she exited my office. I relaxed a bit once she was out of the room. I still needed to think of something to make her pay for deceiving me. I was still standing by my decision to not use her father as leverage, so I had to think of something else. That's when it clicked in my head. There was only one person that Lucy and I had in common, someone that was plaguing my thoughts. Lisanna Strauss, the bane of my criminal resolve. Lucy had to be using her as a contact, and who better to use than my former mentor, ex-girlfriend and rival drug lord. Maybe it was time to finish an old job. And perhaps losing a friend would be sufficient punishment.

"Gray! Gajeel!" I shouted out the open door. Soon, both black haired men entered.

"Yes sir?" Gray asked, crossing his arms.

"We are headed to the Strauss house. It is time to take care of Lisanna once and for all," I said. Gray and Gajeel both looked at each other before turning to me with small grins on their face. I took their expressions as agreement.

"Arm up and meet me at the van in 5 minutes," The men nodded as they headed back down to the weapons locker. I opened the bottom drawer on my desk, pulling out both my revolver and my silenced pistol. Making sure each was fully loaded, I strapped each of them to my side. Throwing on my boots, I grabbed the keys to the van and headed down to the alley behind the warehouse. Gray and Gajeel were already waiting for me, a pistol strapped to Gray's side and a shotgun strapped to Gajeel's back.

"Let's go," I said. Gajeel hopped in the back while Gray took the passenger seat next to me. We sped off down the alley and took off down the main road that led to the cul-de-sac where the old Strauss house sat.

"Did you bring bulletproof vests?" I looked at Gajeel through my rearview mirror. The man nodded, holding up three vests. I nodded as we continued down the road.

"Who thought we would be going after Lisanna again after all this time," Gray said as we continued driving.

"She is a threat to our operation. She must be eliminated," I said. This was part of the reason I was going after but the other was because of Lucy. Not that I would let the guys know that however.

"Here we are," I said as we pulled up in front of the scorched mansion. We got out, taking a quick look around to make sure no one was around to witness what was going to happen. Once we determined the coast was clear, we threw on our vests.

"Move out," I said. Gray and Gajeel headed for the back as I took the front. The fire had taken most of the house, only parts of the main living room still stood and of course the basement which is where Lisanna and whatever existed of her gang would be holed up. Making my way into the living room, I made sure to walk as quietly as I could as to not alert anyone. As I continued through the living room, I began to recall old memories of being here. Like when Lisanna and I had first kissed, and when we had discussed our plans for the future. I shook these thoughts from my head. I was a different man now. I had gone too far down this road to turn back. I looked up to see Gray and Gajeel approaching me from the back entryway. As we neared the basement stairs, we heard a few voices below.

"Make this quick and easy. No survivors," I said. Gray and Gajeel nodded as they headed for the stairs. They stopped however when a voice spoke up from below.

"Who's there?" A man's voice rang up the stairs. Gajeel unstrapped the shotgun from his back while Gray readied his pistol. I placed my hand on the revolver strapped to my side. From the corner of my eye, I saw a man coming from the back entryway where Gray and Gajeel had come from. With adept quickness, I whipped the revolver from my belt and pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting the man straight in the forehead. As he fell to the ground, Gray hurried over and grabbed the man's discarded gun.

"Here they come," I said as I heard rustling in the basement. Footsteps began racing up the stairs as three figures emerged, followed by none other than Lisanna. Our eyes locked for a brief moment before I took cover as they began firing. Gajeel quickly dispatched two of the men with his shotgun while Gray took out the other. Now it was just Lisanna, a pistol cupped in her hands as she faced us.

"How ironic that it would be you three," Lisanna said, glaring at me in particular.

"Time to finish an old job," I said, aiming the revolver at her. Both of our fingers moved for the triggers, but we stopped as we heard the wailing of sirens in the distance. And they were drawing closer.

"Shit, one of the neighbors must have alerted the cops," Gray said.

"Might want to be a bit faster next time," Lisanna said. I pulled the triggered, but she ducked out of the way. As I lined up my next shot, she sprinted towards me and tackled me to the ground, knocking the revolver from my hand.

"Make one move and he dies," Lisanna held her gun to my head as she looked at Gray and Gajeel. They both looked at me for a second before lowering their weapons. Lisanna smiled in triumph as she hopped off of me and disappeared out the back entryway.

"Damn it," I said, picking myself up off the floor. We once again heard the sirens approaching so we sped out of the house towards the van. Hopping inside, we took off down the road and quickly turned down a side road. As we did, we saw the lights of two police cars in the rearview, heading into the cul-de-sac we had just fled.

"Well played Lisanna, well played," I muttered to myself as we headed back to the warehouse.

* * *

We had gotten back to the warehouse an hour ago, and Gray had suggested we have a warehouse party to celebrate our recent income successes. I was not in the party mood, but perhaps some drinks and company would help take my mind off everything. I ran to the liquor store and grabbed as many cases of beer and bottles of vodka as I could. While I was gone, Gray and Gajeel set up some speakers and some couches and tables for people to relax. Soon, the party was in full swing. Gray and Gajeel were having a drinking contest while Sting was challenging Loke to arm wrestling. Lucy was chatting with Minerva and Juvia while Lyon was arguing with Cobra about something. Some of the others were just idly standing and smoking, but they were hardly around these days so I hadn't bothered to remember their names. As the night went on, I drank more and more, a took a ton of hits from this bong that Gray had brought. Feeling a little overwhelmed, I stepped outside for a cigarette. I smiled slightly as I sat by the water, watching the moon reflect off the sea. I marveled the sight.

"His warehouse is having a party and the boss is outside moping?" I turned as I saw Lucy approaching, a beer in hand.

"Planning to get drunk and pass out here again?" I teased her as she sat down next to me.

"This is actually the same one I have been sipping all night, smartass," Lucy retorted as she took another small sip.

"Did you miss me so much you had to come see me?" I chuckled at the disgusted look on Lucy's face.

"Ew, no. I just needed to get away for a moment. Parties aren't really my thing," Lucy said, setting her beer to the side.

"You and me both," I took another drag off my cigarette. I don't know if it was the mixture of drugs and alcohol in my system, or the fact that I felt like utter shit after what happened at the hospital yesterday but I suddenly felt the need to admit something.

"I only came with you to the hospital to learn where your father was to use him as leverage against you," I saw Lucy's eyes widen as shock and anger filled her gaze. She was about to reply, but I stopped her.

"But after I heard what you and your father said about me, I realized that was wrong," Lucy's gaze softened a bit as I continued. I don't know why I had the urge to go on, but I did nonetheless.

"You see, I already destroyed one family. When I was five, I was thrown in to some shitty boy's orphanage when my father abandoned me. The staff liked me, but the other boys always teased me for my pink hair and about how I wasn't wanted by my father," Lucy's eyes never left me as I opened up to her. I couldn't explain the urge to get all this stuff off my chest, especially to her.

"I never did well in school. I was bullied there as well and I never made any friends. I could never get jobs and I was completely alone. But my freshman year, I met this girl selling drugs in the park named Lisanna," I saw Lucy's eyes widen slightly as I said her name.

"We started talking and smoking together and we eventually became best friends. As time passed, I began having feelings for her and so I asked her out towards the end of our junior year. The following summer, we began to expand our operation and began making a real profit. It wasn't a life I wanted, but after all the screw ups in my life, I was happy that I was doing something successfully," I continued on with my story. Lucy's gaze never leaving me, nodding as if she understood. Why did I keep feeling the need to open up to her? I sighed as I gave up on trying to come up with reasons. The mixture of substances in my body had killed my ability to give a shit right now.

"As our senior year flew by, we began talking about settling down in the future and getting a place of our own. I was ecstatic because I was finally happy. I was making good money and I was in love, or so I had thought at the time. The guys in the gang began to prefer me over Lisanna and they started telling me about how Lisanna was cheating on me and how she was planning on getting rid of me. I didn't believe it at first, I mean how could I? Lisanna was my first girlfriend and I was totally in love. But as time went on, Lisanna began acting odd around me so I started believing what the guys were telling me. They told me I needed to dispose of Lisanna before she did me, and then we could go and start our own operation somewhere else. So, the guys and I came up with a plan and it was a terrible one," I let out a deep breath as I was about to finish my story. I had never admitted this stuff out loud before. I guess that is why alcohol is called liquid courage. I was about to admit a series of crime to this girl. But I guess that didn't matter, she was a cop and already knew everything else I had done.

"What happened?" Lucy asked, seemingly interested in my story. Perhaps the bit of alcohol she had drank was just enough to break that barrier of dislike she had for me. It seemed that she and I could only get along when we both had been drinking.

"The night before graduation, we had a group meeting at Lisanna's house when her family was asleep. After we finished, I was spending some alone time with Lisanna while the other guys said they were going out for a cigarette. In reality, they were dousing her house in gasoline, preparing to set it ablaze. Eventually Mirajane, her older sister, came running in saying that the house was on fire and that Lisanna needed to come with her to wake their family. As they were gone, I raided Lisanna's safe and took all of the money we had gained from selling and whatever I could get from her stash. Me and the other guys ran from the house that night as Lisanna called after me. That was the last time I ever saw her. We sold the rest of the stash and eventually set up our operation here at this abandoned warehouse," I took another deep breath as my story came to a close. I noticed that I felt strangely better, as if some weight had been pulled from my shoulders.

"Wow…," Lucy spoke after I had finished. She probably thought I was even worse person now. But what she thought of me really didn't matter. I knew that I had to get that off my chest, or else that stupid dream would keep occurring and I would never be able to move past everything.

"I still regret it, you know?" Lucy looked at me with surprise.

"That is why I couldn't bring myself to do that with your father. I know that you and I aren't friends or anything, but I couldn't bring myself to destroy another family. He called me kind, which no one has ever done before. And he seems like a good guy," I said. Lucy nodded her agreement.

"A life of crime is never what I wanted. I still don't want it. But it is the only thing I have ever been good at. And I have gone too far down this road to come back," I took a sip of my beer as I flicked my finished cigarette to the side.

"You're right," I looked at Lucy, tilting my head to the side.

"My father is a good man, and he is a good judge of character. So perhaps, he was right about you," My breath hitched in my throat as Lucy spoke. I remained silent as I let her continue.

"I still think you are an annoying, smug, egotistical asshole, but perhaps underneath it all, you really aren't such a bad guy," Lucy said, giving me a small smile. My eyes widened as she smiled. Unlike all the other smiles she had given me, this was the first one that seemed sincere. Another person thought I wasn't a bad guy? And a cop, someone who was duty bound to bring me down, of all people. My body began to move on it's own as I reached my arms out and pulled Lucy in to a tight hug. I closed my eyes as I rested my face in to her shoulder, trying to fight back the tears welling behind my eyelids. Talking about my past was always the hardest thing for me, and it was even harder when someone deduced I was a decent person after hearing it. I guess it is true what they say; life is always easier after you let yourself come undone.

"Uh Natsu, what are you doing?" My eyes opened as Lucy' voice snapped me back to reality. I let go suddenly, standing up as I brushes my jeans off.

"Sorry," I said quickly before turning back to head inside. Why had I just hugged her? Hell, why had I just spilled my life story? What the fuck was happening to me? I pushed past everyone as I made my way to my private room in the back of the warehouse. Tearing off my clothes, I walked over to the bathroom that we had installed off the side of my room a few months ago. After a sharing a rundown bathroom with like thirty other people, I had decided I needed my own. I hopped in the shower, making the water as hot as I could make it. I leaned towards the wall, extending my arms to support myself as I stared at the floor. The hot water ran down my bare skin, soothing the dull ache in my body. What was happening to me? My life had been fine, the thoughts of Lisanna hadn't plagued me in months and I was making a decent living. Then this girl comes, this undercover cop shows up and she begins to drive me apart. I suddenly find myself opening up my regrets on my criminal life and my thoughts on Lisanna had come back to haunt me. Even with terrible intentions, this girl and her father had called me a good man. I had just spilled my past out to this girl and I had even hugged her for fuck's sake! It was the alcohol and drugs right? It had to be. This girl wasn't my friend. I didn't care about her right? I was going to destroy her just like I had originally planned. But something told me this was no longer possible. I ran my fingers through my wet hair as I continued to stare at the floor. What kind of spell was this girl putting over me that was making me revert to my old self? What was so special about her? She was rude to me, always throwing me snarky and sarcastic replies and always rolling her eyes at me. She was here for one reason and that was to ruin my entire operation. She had deceived me from the very beginning and she was still deceiving me even after I had discovered her secret. So again, what made her so fucking special? I needed to stay focused and continue on with my plan to break her. I wasn't going to let this girl's fake compliments and false sincerity distract me from what I needed to do. I was Natsu Dragneel, the most powerful drug lord in all of Fiore and it was time I started acting like it. Turning off the water, I dried myself off as I stepped out of the shower. Throwing on some sweats and not bothering about a shirt, I plopped on my bed. Closing my eyes, I told myself that tomorrow would be a new day and soon, I would break that girl like I had intended.

* * *

I awoke to a knocking on my door. I glanced at my phone, seeing it was 10:45am. Damn, I had slept 11 hours? I must have needed it.

"Who is it?" I called out as I grabbed a sleeveless shirt from the clothing rack in the corner.

"It's Gajeel sir. Sliding on my sandals, I walked over the door and opened it.

"Layla is in your office, she wanted to speak to you," Gajeel said. Vague memories of last night filled my head. She probably wanted to talk about my abruptly hugging her, which I still didn't fully understand myself.

"Perfect. I have a few things I need to say to her too," I said, marching past Gajeel. He shot me a confused glance as I passed, but didn't say anything as I walked away. As I said, he wasn't a man for questions which is why he was my favorite person here. As I entered my office, my eyes narrowed as I stared at the back of Lucy's head. Time to get things back to normal. She turned as she heard me approach.

"Morning," She said dryly.

"Morning," I echoed her greeting, my tone as empty as hers. The air was definitely heavier between us today.

"I wanted to talk to you about yesterday," Lucy said as I took a seat at my desk.

"Same here," I replied, propping my feet up on my desk.

"Look, I am not too happy about your intentions with my father but I am glad that you decided against it," She began. She stopped for a moment, considering her words.

"Go on," I said, looking at her.

"Obviously you were somewhat drunk and needed to clear your mind but I just wanted to tell you that nothing has changed between us. We aren't friends and I don't ever want you to hug me again," My eyes widened a bit. Was this girl a mind reader? Because I had been thinking the same exact thing.

"Don't hold your breath. I know we aren't friends and I was just in my head last night. You just happened to be the person present at the time," I said, crossing my arms.

"Glad we are at an understanding then," She said, a trace of sarcasm in her tone.

"Good. Now did you need something important?" I stared at her with a bored expression. She shook her head as she exited my office. Even though we both meant what we had said, I felt that things between us had changed slightly.

* * *

 **A/N: Aw Natsu and his painful past. I just want to hug him xc but anyway hope you guys enjoyed. Tried to make this chapter a little longer since the last few chapters have been relatively short. Drop a review and tell me your thoughts! Thanks for reading! See you guys soon for the next one!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Back at it again! Hope you guys enjoyed this update. Also, whoever the last person to review Chapter 6 was, can you send me a PM saying what your review was? It is the one review that I can not see. Anyways hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

So much had happened over the past two days that had my head spinning. First off, I had found out my father had been stricken with pancreatic cancer. Secondly, I had mistakenly gotten too drunk and Natsu of all people had taken care of me. Third, Natsu even insisted on accompanying me to visit my father with the intentions to learn his location to use his him as leverage but then changed his mind because of a painful past that he had poured out to me last night. I had been completely blindsided by Natsu's change of character.

" _Really? He seems like a nice boy,"_

My father's words rang in my ears. Was it possible that Natsu wasn't as twisted as I had originally believed? His file had made him out to be this cunning, ruthless, cold-blooded killer. But all I had really seen from him, aside from his everyday smugness and breaking into my apartment, was common decency.

" _A life of crime is never what I wanted. I still don't want it. But it is the only thing I have ever been good at. And I've gone too far down this road to come back,"_

Was Natsu really telling the truth? Had life dragged him down so far that he became someone he never wanted to be? Part of me wanted to believe him, that there was a good man buried underneath, but I also knew that it could be a trick. After all, I had only known Natsu for a few weeks now. But I did feel that his file may have been over exaggerated.

"Do you think Natsu could be a good guy?" I turned to look at Erza, who was busy polishing her work shoes. She looked up at me, a look of surprise on her face.

"What makes you ask that?" Erza sat the shoe down as she came to sit on the bed next to me.

"I've just been thinking about everything that happened. The random acts of kindness, the open dislike for his criminal life. What if he isn't as bad as his file says?" I said. Erza looked away, pondering my words for a moment.

"I suppose. But why does it matter to you all of a sudden?" Erza asked. I had actually anticipated this question; it was one that had begun to plague my mind after Natsu shared his past with me two days ago.

"Because, aside from a life of crime, he seems to just be a depressed and lonely man. What if all he needs is a fresh start and maybe a few friends?" I said. Despite my previous conversation with Natsu, I could sense that something between me and him had changed. I could tell we were on the road to a somewhat of a friendship, and denying it would just be pointless.

"Why would you want to be friends with that man?" Erza looked utterly repulsed. I couldn't blame her though.

"I know. He is a criminal and I am a cop. But Erza, you should have heard the story he told me. He clearly isn't happy with his life. Even my father called him a good man. Maybe instead of sending him to prison for life, I could try to help him. Maybe convince him to turn himself in and then work a little magic with the judge so he doesn't have to serve a long sentence. I mean, aren't you the one who used to tell me that everyone deserves a second chance?" I looked at Erza, remembering my first day as her partner.

" _Anything else we need to go over today?" I asked as I handed Erza the rest of the case files._

" _Nope, that is everything," She said, sliding the files into her bag. I waved goodbye as I began to walk away, but I was stopped by Erza's hand grabbing my arm._

" _A word of advice; you're going to meet a lot of good people who have made mistakes, especially in this line of duty. Just remember that everyone deserves a second chance," Erza smiled at me as she headed for the exit. And from that moment on, those words would run through my head every time I had made an arrest._

"I don't know, Lucy. What if it is all an act?" Erza said.

"I had considered that option, but I believe he was sincere. No one could conceive a terrible story like that. And not to mention how he randomly took care of me and randomly hugged me. He wants help Erza, he is just too afraid that he is beyond it," I said. She stared at me for a moment before sighing.

"Does this have to do with the dream you had about him?" My eyes widened a bit. I had almost forgotten about that.

"You think I have feelings for Natsu?" I laughed at the thought. I had NEVER looked at Natsu in the romantic sense, and that dream had been nothing more than my brain's reaction to finding him attractive, for whatever disgusting reason. Erza eventually shook her head, probably coming to the same conclusion that I had.

"Look, I can't tell you what to do. Just be careful," Erza said, taking my hand in hers. I squeezed hers slightly as I nodded.

"I promise," I replied, giving her a small smile.

"So how are you going to begin this friendship?" Erza let go of my hand, gazing at me with a quizzical look in her eyes.

"I guess just work our way in to it? If it doesn't work and Natsu ends up really not wanting help, then I will stick with original plan," I said, figuring it was the best idea.

"Sounds reasonable. But are you sure you want to do this? You were really adamant about your dislike for him, and your desire to lock him away," Erza pointed out.

"Oh trust me, he is paying for his crimes either way. But don't forget, someone once did the same thing for me," I glanced over at Levy, who was busy reading a book with her headphones in. Few people knew this, but before I enrolled in the police academy, I was homeless and stealing just to provide for myself. When I had turned eighteen, my father told me that I needed to scrounge enough money together and find a place of my own. I was working as a waitress at some crappy diner at the time, with a horrible boss that underpaid all of his employees. Levy had also been working at this diner at the time, and one night, she had accidentally spilled a fresh pot of coffee on one of our most important regulars. When he complained to the manager about what had happened, I stood up and took the blame for Levy, since I knew she needed the job to help pay for college. The manager had quickly fired me that night. When I returned home, I explained to my father what had happened and how I wouldn't be able to save enough money to move out until I found a new job. Instead of supporting me, my father told me about how it was stupid to sacrifice my job for a fellow coworker. He took my phone, my computer and told me to pack up whatever clothes I could fit in to a bag and to get out. So that night, I packed up my belongings in the only suitcase I had and left my father's house. I wandered the streets for a few days before I discovered this women's shelter downtown. They were overcrowded at the time, but they agreed to let me stay for three weeks as long as I was actively looking for a job. I tried applying at different places, but no one wanted to hire a homeless girl that had been fired from her first job. So I stayed at the women's shelter, stealing from farmer's markets and random gas stations just to get a decent meal since the shelter mostly served slop. One night, as I was returning to the shelter from a gas station run, I came across Levy leaving the bookstore nearby. We began talking, and I told her about my current situation and what had happened after that night at the diner. She then offered to let me stay with her for a few weeks and would help me find a job. She said she wanted to do something for me since I helped her keep her job that night at the diner. So I moved in Levy and we began searching for possible career options. That is when we found the site for enrolling in the police academy. They offered a ton of career options in law enforcement, as well as normal schooling for people enrolling without degrees. After giving it some thought, I decided that I wanted to become a police officer so I could help people just like Levy had helped me. So I enrolled in the academy, and that is how I wound up here. I could never repay Levy for what she done for me, but maybe I could pass on her good will by helping Natsu.

"I suppose," Erza voiced her agreement. She went back to polishing her shoes. I sat up to put my shoes on, stretching as I did so. I guess if I was going to try to be friends with Natsu, I had to get things moving. Of course there was still the issue of him breaking in to my apartment and trying to have Erza killed, but that could all be handled later. No matter what happened, Natsu was going to pay for his crimes. But for how long completely depended on him. I grabbed my keys, saying a quick goodbye to Erza and Levy as I headed out the door. I took a deep breath as I walked to my car, nervous about how all this was going to play out.

"Here goes nothing," I said as I got in the car. Starting it up, I backed out of the parking lot and took off down the road towards the warehouse.

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

"Sir? Layla is here to see you," Sting poked his head in to my office. I looked up from the game I was playing on my phone, nodding for him to send her in. What did this girl want now?

"Hey," Lucy said as she entered my office. I was a little surprised when I noticed that her tone didn't contain any of its usual malice or dryness.

"Hey?" I set my phone down, leaning forward in my chair. She rubbed the back of her neck, pondering her words for a moment.

"Are you busy right now?" Lucy's gaze averted mine, like this question made her nervous. What was going on with her?

"Not particularly," I stood from my chair as I walked around to the other side of my desk. I leaned back against it, looking directly in her eyes. My confusion and surprise expanded as I noticed there was none of her usual repulsion on her face. What was happening? I was so confused right now.

"Did you maybe uh… want to go get some food?" Lucy looked down at the floor as she asked. My eyes widened a bit. Did this girl just ask me on a date?

"Like a date?" Lucy's head shot up, a look of surprise on her face.

"No! Just figured I could repay you for buying me food the other day" Lucy said, rubbing her arm a bit. I was even more confused now. Didn't this girl hate me? So why was she trying to hang out with me? Guess I better find out what her intentions are.

"Uh, sure," I said, grabbing my jacket from desk chair. Lucy nodded as she turned and began to walk out of the office. I shook my head, still confused by the whole deal. Nonetheless, I followed after her.

"What food places are near here?" Lucy asked as we began walking down the alley that led to the main road.

"There's this good Italian place on 9th street, about two blocks from here," I said, shoving my hands in my pockets.

"Works for me," Lucy said. We continued walking, neither one of us saying anything. A heavy air hung between us, but for once, it didn't contain the mutual feeling of dislike. Was I right when I thought that something between us had changed? After walking a few more minutes, we arrived at the restaurant.

"Two please," Lucy told the host as we stepped inside.

"Right this way," the host grabbed two menus and took us to a booth in the far corner.

"Your server will be right with you," he set the menus down in front of us before walking away. When Lucy shifted uncomfortably, I supposed that it was time to figure out what was going on.

"Why did you want to hang out with me tonight?" I asked, crossing my arms against my chest.

"I told you, I just wanted to repay you for buying me food that one day we visited my father," Lucy said. I wasn't buying it however.

"I know that isn't true. If this was just about paying me back, then you would have just given me some money later that day or something. But instead, you invited me to go out somewhere, meaning you wanted to spend time with me," I said, smiling to myself a bit. I was pretty damn smart. Well, for a drug dealer anyway.

"Fine. It's about-," Lucy stopped mid-sentence as our waitress approached our table.

"Welcome, my name is Violet and I will be your server tonight. What can I get you started with to drink?" she glanced at both of us.

"What beers do you have?" I asked.

"We have Budweiser, IPA and Blue Moon," I nodded as I considered it for a moment.

"I'll take a Blue Moon," I said. She nodded, turning to Lucy.

"What about you, dear?" Lucy considered it for a moment as well.

"Just a cup of coffee for me," Lucy said. The waitress smiled as she wrote our drinks down.

"Be right back with those," I nodded as the waitress hobbled off to get our drinks.

"So what were you saying?" I turned back to Lucy, meeting her brown eyes as our gazes locked. I had never really noticed, but she had really beautiful eyes. Wait. What did I just think?

"I was just thinking about the story you told me and about how you couldn't really make any friends. So I thought that maybe we…," Lucy cut off the end of her sentence as she rubbed her arm, visibly nervous.

"That maybe we could be friends?" I guessed. Did she really want to be friends with me? Had my story really affected her so much? I found it hard to believe. A cop wanting to befriend a criminal? But even I couldn't deny the strange change that had been occurring between us.

"I know we have our differences. But you took care of me when you didn't have to, you drove me three hours and back to visit my father and you trusted me with your past. So yes, I am willing to try if you are really serious about everything you said," Lucy said. I was about to respond until the waitress appeared with our drinks.

"Have you decided on something to eat?" I shook my head as I glanced at Lucy.

"I'll give you a few more minutes then," Lucy smiled at the waitress before she walked away.

"I thought you hated me," I said once the waitress was out of earshot.

"I did. But you've been mostly kind to me and I felt bad after hearing your story. I still think your personality has some rough edges, but maybe all you really needed was a friend," Lucy took a sip of her coffee as she glanced at me. I honestly didn't know what to think or feel right now. No one ever wanted to be friends with me. What should I say? For all I know, she could be tricking me so I would let my guard down and she could arrest me easily. But at the same time, she could be sincere. Should I just take a leap of faith? If worse came to worse, then I could always dispose of her like I originally intended.

"Sure, I guess," I said. She gave me a small smile as she continued to sip at her coffee. I began sipping at my beer, thinking about everything that was happening. I would be lying if I said that I didn't fully trust me. But, I couldn't deny that growing feeling of happiness inside me; someone actually wanted to be my friend. This whole experience was still new to me; I mean sure, Gray and Gajeel were my friends to an extent, but I never really did anything with them. The only real friend I had ever known was Lisanna. So perhaps Lucy was right. Perhaps all I needed was a friend to help guide me. But would Lucy prove to be that friend? Or would she betray me like everyone else in my life?

* * *

 **A/N: And that's a wrap. Now I know this may seem spontaneous, but I honestly had no idea to make Lucy and Natsu start being friends so they could eventually work their way to a relationship. I tried to justify it the best I could with Lucy's backstory. And I tried to make it seem rocky with Natsu still questioning his trust for her. So I hope that it didn't turn out horribly. Drop a review and let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading and see you for the next one.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Back with Chapter 10. Finished the roadmap for this story and I think I can say that I am almost positive that this is the best story I will have published. I won't spoil anything but the plot flow and timing of my future chapters just seems good. I have it mapped to 26 chapters so we still have 16 chapters after this one. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Also Natsu's story has been inspired by the song** _ **All Signs Point to Lauderdale**_ **by A Day to Remember. Here are a few lines from the song that inspired me.**

 **-** _ **I never know the things to say to you.**_

 _ **-I never showed just what you do to me.**_

 _ **-**_ _ **I hate this town, it's so washed up**_ _ **.**_ _ **And all my friends don't give a fuck**_ _ **.**_ _ **They'll tell me that it's just bad luck**_ _ **.**_ _ **When will I find where I fit in?**_

 **So if you ever want to connect with Natsu in this story, I recommend that song. Anyway enjoy!**

* * *

 **Natsu's POV**

I always hated July 7th. It was the day that I honestly never looked forward to. July 7th was my birthday. And today was my 27th birthday to be more precise. As with every other holiday, I always got in a bad mood since I had no family and very little friends to help me celebrate. A few of the guys in the crew always took me out for drinks and stuff, but it still didn't change the fact that I had no family to help me celebrate. Even though the memories were vague, I do remember that my father had never really done anything for my birthdays either. He would give me some cheap dollar store card and then leave to go to the bar. During those times, I had always wondered if my mother would have been different than him. My father never talked about her much, just said she was beautiful and that they had fun together. He never told me about how they met or how she really died. But, my childhood self always imagined that she was truly a kind woman and that maybe my life would have been better if she had been alive. I shook my head. It was no use reminiscing on the past. It had been 27 years since I had been born, and 22 years since my father had abandoned me. Thinking about it all now wouldn't do anything except upset me.

"Natsu?" I looked up to see Lucy entering my office. I waved as she entered. It had been a week since we had decided to try to be friends and we were still in that beginning phase that happens in every new friendship.

"You seem upset?" Lucy took a seat on the futon on the other side of the room. Oh that's right, Lucy had no idea today was my birthday. I had just gotten so used to everyone knowing what was wrong when this day rolled around.

"Today's my birthday. And as usual, I'm torturing myself with thoughts of the family I don't have," I shrugged as I leaned back in my chair.

"Your birthday? Well, happy birthday Natsu," Lucy smiled softly at me. I gave her a small smile before closing my eyes.

"Why don't we go do something today to celebrate?" Lucy suggested. My eyes opened as I looked at her, surprised.

"Really?" I blinked a few times as I looked at her.

"Sure. No one should be spending time sad and alone on their birthday," Lucy stood from the futon. She moved to the door, gesturing for me to follow her.

"Uh yeah. Right," I said, still surprised. No one ever really tried doing much for my birthdays so this was a shock to me. As we left, I told Gajeel to keep an eye on things while we were out. I followed Lucy to her car.

"Where do you want to go?" Lucy turned to me once I got inside.

"We could go get a drink? Then maybe go to the mall and walk around?" I suggested. I really had no idea what I wanted to do today so I just said the first two things that popped in to my head.

"Sounds good to me," Lucy said as she started the car. We drove off down the alley and down a few blocks to this bar nearby.

"I'll take a margarita," Lucy told the bartender once we had sat down.

"Just two shots of tequila for me. And a Coke.," I said. The bartender nodded as he walked away to make the drinks.

"So I'm guessing drinking is your go to birthday plan?" Lucy turned to me.

"Pretty much. Not much to do when no one likes you," I shrugged. I nodded a thanks at the bartender as he set the drinks down in front of us.

"Well, you've got one friend now. Cheers," Lucy raised her glass. I grinned slightly as I clinked one of my shot glasses against her margarita glass. I downed the first shot while Lucy sipped from her margarita.

"I just realized we became friends but I don't know anything about you," I turned to Lucy as she spoke.

"Yeah, you're right," I said, downing the other shot before sipping on my soda.

"So, what music do you like?" Lucy asked, setting her margarita back down.

"Really just rock. Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, that kind of stuff," I said.

"I went to the Disturbed concert here a few years ago. I like rock also," Lucy said.

"Really? I was there too!" I replied. What were the odds that Lucy and I had been in the same place before we had met.

"No way! What section?" Lucy asked, her eyes shining a bit.

"I was in the pit by the stage. You?" I took another sip of my coke.

"In the GA sitting floor behind the pit," Lucy replied.

"So what's your favorite song by them?" I asked. Lucy looked away, thinking about it for a moment.

"Either 'Stricken' or 'Stronger On Your Own'," Lucy said. My eyes widened.

"I love 'Stricken'! I can actually play it on the guitar," I said.

"Really? You have to show me sometime," Lucy grinned at me.

"Sure thing," I replied. I had to admit, I was having a good time. She had really helped me get my mind off my depression. We sat there, talking about all kinds of things. We told each other our favorite animals and colors. She told me funny stories about things she had done with her friends and I told her about some of the dumb things I had done with Gray and Gajeel.

"Ready to go to the mall?" Lucy asked after about an hour of talking. I nodded. Before I could grab my wallet, she threw some money on the counter.

"It's your birthday," Lucy eyed my wallet. She smiled at me as she headed for the door. I grinned to myself as I followed after her. As we drove, Lucy threw in a Disturbed CD. She quickly scrolled through until she came to 'Stricken'

"You really weren't kidding," I said, grinning a bit as the song came on. I hadn't taken Lucy for a rock girl, even after hearing her talk about Disturbed.

"Told you," Lucy chuckled as the song started.

"You walk on like a woman in suffering. Won't even bother now to tell me why," I began singing along to the song. Disturbed songs always cheered me up. As I continued singing, Lucy would glance at me from time to time.

"You have a nice voice," Lucy said as the song finished.

"You think so? I always wanted to be a musician when I was younger," I said.

"Why didn't you?" Lucy asked as we pulled in to the mall parking lot.

"I don't really remember. Just gave up on it as time went on I guess," I shrugged as we parked.

"You hungry?" I looked at Lucy as we entered the mall.

"Kind of," Lucy replied.

"Come on," I led her down the escalator to the food court. This mall had a really good Mexican place that had really good quesadillas.

"I'll take two quesadillas with extra cheese," I told the cashier as we approached.

"Just a chorizo and cheese burrito for me," Lucy said. This time, before Lucy could grab her wallet, I handed the cashier the money.

"I said I was buying today," Lucy crossed her arms.

"You bought me food the other night and bought me drinks today. I wanted to pay this time," I said, putting my wallet in my back pocket.

"Whatever," Lucy rolled her eyes playfully.

"You guys are a cute couple," The cashier girl giggled as she handed me my change. Lucy and I both looked at each other.

"Oh we aren't-," We both began to speak but we stopped. Definitely not helping the situation. The girl nodded, but her gaze told me she didn't believe us. Oh well, I knew Lucy and I were just friends so no harm done. We eventually got our food and went to sit down.

"Was Lisanna your only girlfriend?" Lucy asked as we ate.

"Yeah. I had a few flings after her, but nothing ever too serious. What about you?" I took a bite of my quesadillas.

"I had a thing with this guy at the academy but he was a huge player so I eventually called it quits," Lucy shrugged as she bit in to her burrito.

"Any shops you want to look at?" Lucy asked. I thought about it for a moment.

"There's this clothing store that I like to shop at," I said.

"Want to stop there when we are done eating?" Lucy asked in between bites.

"Sure," I said. We ate in silence for a few minutes until we were finished. Getting up, I led Lucy to the second floor where the store was.

"Oh that jacket is cute!" Lucy immediately ran over to this white jacket. She fumbled threw the rack of them for a moment.

"Damn, they don't have my size," Lucy said. We looked at a few things for her in the girl section. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a light blue tee. Afterwards, we headed over to the guy section.

"See anything you like?" Lucy asked. I shook my head as I browsed through the racks of clothing. Nothing was really catching my eye. That is, until I saw a scarf hanging up in the corner. I immediately walked over it. It was a light grey silk scarf with a pattern that resembled dragon scales. I had always been fascinated with dragons, ever since I had been a little kid. That is why I found the scarf so appealing.

"I like this," I showed the scarf to Lucy.

"A scarf?" Lucy asked, looking at it.

"The pattern reminds me of dragon scales. And I always loved dragons," I said.

"Then I will get that as a present," Lucy said. I was about to hand if to her when I saw the price tag out of the corner of my eye.

"it is $75. I can't let you spend that much on me," I said, starting to hang the scarf back up. I was surprised when Lucy grabbed it back down.

"Nonsense. Today is your birthday and we are friends right?" Lucy smiled at me. I was speechless. No one, not Gray or Gajeel, not even Lisanna, had ever offered to buy me an expensive gift like this. When I didn't say anything, Lucy took the scarf and her items to the counter. As I watched her pay for it, I began to feel guilty at how much money she had spent on me today. I would have to find a way to make it up to her.

"Here," Lucy handed me the scarf as we exited the mall. I smiled at her as I took it and wrapped it around my neck, letting one side of it hang down the front of my shirt.

"Looks good on you," Lucy said as she began walking back to the car. I'm not sure why, but my body began moving on it's own as I rushed up to her and wrapped my arms around her. I felt a few tears well in my eyes as I hugged her.

"No one has ever cared about my birthday as much as you have today. Thank you, for everything," I said, clutching her tightly. I was so overcome with emotion at this point that I could not let go.

"What are friends for?" Lucy said. And unlike the last hug I gave her, she wrapped her arms around me and returned it.

* * *

We eventually got back to the warehouse, where I was greeted with a few birthday greetings as Lucy and I headed for the office.

"Thanks again for the fun day," I said once we got inside my office.

"No worries. Just trying to be a good friend," Lucy said, shrugging a bit. She may not think it was a big deal, but it was a big deal to me. My father of course had never done anything for my birthday. The ladies at the orphanage would always tell me happy birthday and give me extra dessert but that was it. Lisanna and I would go see a movie or something, but she never got me any gifts. Gray and Gajeel would take me out for drinks or something but what Lucy had done today had topped everything else. No one had ever cared enough to spend the whole day with me, let alone get me a nice gift.

"Well it's getting late. I should head hone," Lucy said as she began heading for the door.

"Goodnight," I said, giving her a small smile.

"Goodnight, Natsu," Lucy returned my smile before exiting the room. I sat back in my chair, admiring my new scarf. As J stared at it, I felt some unfamiliar emotion stir in me. My eyes widened as I realized what it was. It was happiness. A faint sliver of genuine happiness. And I knew the exact reason; I finally had a real friend.

* * *

 **A/N: Apologies for the shorter chapter! Have had a really busy day but still wanted to update. Anyways drop a review and give me your thoughts! See you soon for the next one!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Back again! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **Lucy's POV**

Things had been better, to say the least. Natsu genuinely seemed to trust me and if I could just work st it a little longer, perhaps I could end up convincing him to turn himself in and turn his life around. And surprisingly, the more we hung out, the more I enjoyed his company. Behind the wall of sarcasm and smugness, Natsu was a decent guy. Certainly not what I had expected when I first met him.

"How are things?" I asked as I entered Natsu's office. He looked up from his phone.

"Pretty good. Thanks to the work you have done and the work the others have done, we are finally bringing in a decent income again," Natsu sat his phone down, grinning at me. I still really didn't care about the drug operation, but Natsu seemed pleased so I knew that I had to be pleased as well.

"That's great. Seems like things are finally looking up," I said, taking a seat on the futon. Natsu nodded as he leaned back in his chair.

"Any plans for the day?" Natsu asked, coming to sit next to me. I was about to answer when my phone started ringing. I pulled it out and immediately felt a sense of dread when I saw it was the hospital where my father was.

"Hello?" I answered the call, my voice wavering a bit.

" _Good afternoon, Ms. Heartfilia. I am sorry to bother you but I have some grave news about your father's condition,"_ I began to feel a pit of worry accumulate in my stomach. I glanced at Natsu, who was watching me with a concerned expression. He must have noticed the wavering in my voice.

"Yes? Is he okay?" I asked.

" _For now, yes. But last night, his cancer began spreading rapidly through his pancreas and some of the cells have started infecting his bloodstream. I'm very sorry to say but your father doesn't have much time left. We have been trying to reverse the process, but his body has stopped responding to the treatments,"_ I felt tears begin to well in my eyes as I listened to the doctor speak.

"T-thank you, Doctor," I hung up the phone as I let it drop in to my lap. I stared at the floor as tears began sliding down my cheeks. I had no words, absolutely none. When my father had been diagnosed, I told myself that there was a chance he wouldn't make it. But no matter how much I had told myself this over the past few weeks, watching it become a reality was something completely different.

"It's your father isn't it?," Natsu's voice echoed from beside me. I nodded, keeping my eyes on the floor.

"Come on then," I looked up to see Natsu standing in front of me, his hand stretched out towards me.

"Where?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"To visit your father. You want to be with him if he goes, right?" My eyes widened. In the minutes I had been trying to process this, I hadn't even thought about going to see him. I nodded slowly, taking his hand as he helped me off the futon. I wiped a few tears from my eyes as he led me down to his van. in all the shock, I had forgotten to take my hand out of his. Natsu must not have noticed as he got in the van, his hand leaving mine. Something about holding it felt both wrong and right at the same time. All the shock must be really getting to me. I got in the van and we took off towards the highway. Neither of us spoke as we drove, both of us unsure what to say. How did this happen so fast? Just two weeks ago, my father had been doing so great. Was this even really happening right now? My father was the only family I had left, and now he was about to be gone too. Would I even be able to handle it? Too overwhelmed by my feelings, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep the rest of the ride.

* * *

We eventually arrived to the hospital, my eyes fluttering open as we parked. The sense of worry returned as I stared at the hospital doors. Memories of my mother's death were hitting me like train, and now I had to face it all over again with my father.

"Ready?" Natsu asked, softly.

"I don't know," I replied as I got out of the van. Natsu followed me inside and we walked over to the elevator. When we arrived to his floor, I felt frozen. I was about to see my dying father, and the realization was suddenly hitting me harder than it ever had today. That's when I felt a hand take mine. I looked down to see Natsu's fingers intertwine with me.

"I'm here. Now let's go see him," Natsu led me out of the elevator and down the hall to my father's room. I was too overwhelmed to speak, or to even let go of his hand. I hadn't felt this helpless since my mother had passed away. If Natsu wasn't here, I doubt I would've even been able to make it to my father's room. As we approached his door, tears began welling my eyes again.

"It will be okay," Natsu said. I nodded slowly as he led me in to the room. I let go of his hand as I approached the sleeping figure of my father, Natsu hanging back by the door.

"Dad, it's me," I said softly as I approached him. I took his hand in mine, trying to fight the tears filling my eyes. His eyes slowly opened, and I almost broke down at the weak gaze in them.

"Sweetheart, you're here," My father's voice came out a weak rasp.

"I came as soon as the doctor called," I said, smiling softly at him. He noticed the tears in my eyes, and with his free hand, he slowly wiped a few of my tears away.

"Don't cry, princess. Whatever happens was meant to," My father smiled weakly at me. I nodded, trying my best to smile through the tears. That's when my father noticed Natsu. He beckoned for him to come closer.

"You're the boy that was with her last time," My father said as Natsu approached. Natsu nodded, his expression unreadable. Was he thinking about his own parents right now?

"What is your name?" My father asked, his voice beginning to waver more. I felt my heart break watching him slowly weaken.

"Natsu, sir," Natsu spoke softly, an almost melancholy feeling in his voice. I was surprised when my father reached his other hand towards Natsu, wanting him to take it. My father usually hated guys that hung around me, but perhaps that didn't matter in his final moments. Natsu eyed my father's hand for a moment, before slowly moving his own to take it.

"Well Natsu, thank you for accompanying my daugther up here twice. She seems to have found good friend in you," My father smiled weakly at Natsu. I smiled as I watched them.

"She did, sir. She is a great person," Natsu said, looking at me briefly.

"Just promise me that you will look after her when I am gone," I saw my father squeeze Natsu's hand slightly. Never had I thought that I would see the day when my father entrusted my well being to a guy.

"I promise," Natsu said. My father smiled weakly again as he let go of Natsu's hand. I glanced at Natsu, his gaze still unreadable as he glanced at the floor. What was he thinking about right now?

"I love you, sweetheart. I am sorry for everything I did after your mother died," My father turned to me. Tears were flowing from both of our eyes now.

"No. I am sorry that I wasn't a better daughter. I love you too, Dad," I rested my forehead on his, both of us closing our eyes.

"At least I will get to see your mother again," My father said, his voice barely a whisper at this point. I was about to respond when my father began to cough violently, his hand leaving mine.

"Dad!" I cried out as his body wracked with more and more coughs. The machine he was hooked to began beeping violently.

"Doctor! We need a doctor in here!" I began running to the door.

"No, stop," I turned as I heard my father speak.

"We both know they won't be able to help. I love you, never forget that," My father said as his eyes began to close. I ran back over to him, taking his hand in mine once more. I fell in to a rack of sobs as my father sunk back in to his bed, his breathing becoming more and more shallow. My heart then stopped as I heard the machine flat line. My father's grip loosened as the final breath left his body. I immediately lost it. Tears were pouring out of my eyes as I clutched my father's lifeless hand close to my chest. He couldn't be gone. He just couldn't. This had to be a bad dream. I tried convincing myself of that, but to no avail.

"I'm sorry," I looked up as Natsu spoke. He was standing a few feet away, his arms open for a hug. Not caring about it in the moment, I let go of my father's hand and ran over to Natsu, throwing my arms around him. His arms slowly curled around me.

"He just can't be gone!" I cried in to Natsu's chest. He said nothing, just holding me as I cried. This couldn't even be real. First my mother, and now my father. Why did life seem to take away the people I loved the most.

"This just has to be a fucking nightmare!" I screamed into Natsu's chest, my tears soaking his shirt. I felt his grip around me tighten slightly, but he remained silent. From the corner of my eye, I saw some of the medical staff enter as they began unplugging the machines. I closed my eyes and buried my face further into Natsu's chest, unable to watch them wheel my father away.

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 **Natsu's POV**

I had just witnessed Lucy's father pass away, and I honestly had no words. I had seen many people die, but this time was different. He had told me I was a good friend to Lucy and asked me to look out for her. The least I could do for him and Lucy would be to honor his last wish. I held Lucy as she sobbed, unsure of what to say. We stood there for a good ten minutes or so before Lucy let go of me.

"Can we just go home?" Her voice shook as she spoke. I nodded as she began heading for the door. I followed after her. As we entered the hallway, a doctor walked up to us.

"I apologize for bothering you when you just had a loss, but I wanted to speak to you. We are sending your father's body to the local morgue, and the coroner gave me some documents. They just ask if you wish to bury your father or have him cremated," The doctor spoke to Lucy, holding out the documents to her. Lucy didn't move however, just continued to stare at the floor. I felt bad, she was probably too emotional right now to speak.

"Ms. Heartfilia?" The doctor asked. When Lucy remained silent and still, I took the documents from the doctor's hands.

"Thank you, Doctor," I said. The doctor nodded as he turned back the way he had came. I shook my head. I know he was just doing his job but he could've just mailed the documents to Lucy instead of barraging her minutes after her father had died. I looked back at Lucy.

"Let's go," I said softly. She nodded, following me to the elevator. She remained silent the whole ride down and the entire ride home. I didn't blame her though. I could understand how she was feeling to an extent, but I had never seen both of my parents die right in front of me. I didn't even know how to help her.

We arrived to warehouse a few hours later. Lucy had fallen asleep, and I didn't want to wake her. I quietly opened her door and lightly grabbed her as I picked her up in my arms. I carried her though the warehouse, ignoring everyone's questions as I took her to my room. Shutting the door behind us, I sat Lucy down on the bed. Pulling a blanket over her, I walked over to the recliner and began playing a game on my phone, trying to get my mind off today's sad events. After about thirty minutes or so, Lucy began to stir.

"Natsu?" I looked over as Lucy's eyes opened. They were all red and puffy from the crying today.

"Hey," I said, sliding my phone in to my pocket.

"Would you come lay with me?" Lucy asked. My eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" I asked. I knew we were friends, but that was more relationship type stuff wasn't it? And as cool as Lucy was, I knew I didn't feel _that_ _way_ about her.

"Normally I would never ask, but having you close has helped today," I nodded, understanding what she meant. She wasn't Trying to be romantic; she just needed a friend. I walked over to bed, laying down beside her. She rolled over and faced me.

"Sorry you had to see all that today," Lucy said. I shook my head.

"Friends are there for each other right?" My eyes locked with Lucy's. She nodded as she smiled weakly at me.

"I just don't know what to do now that he is gone," Lucy sniffled.

"I wish I knew what to say," I replied. I was never good in these types of situations.

"I don't think there is anything you could say. But you were here for me today, so thank you," Lucy said, smiling weakly at me again. I smiled softly back at her. We stared at each other in silence, just staring in to each others eyes. I was just noticing, that even though they were red and puffy, Lucy still had beautiful eyes. I don't know why, but I began to think of the night she had drunkenly kissed me. And I also don't know why, but my eyes trailed down to her lips for a second. Maybe it was the heat of the moment, or the fact that I didn't know how to comfort her, but I slowly began moving my lips towards hers. What I was doing? Why couldn't I stop myself? Lucy's eyes widened as she realized what I was doing. She began to open her mouth to protest but that is when my lips caught hers. She lied still for a moment before she kissed me back. This was a completely different kiss from the other night. Her lips didn't taste like alcohol but they were still warm. So this is how she kissed sober? I was not disappointed. Why was I doing this though? And why was I enjoying it? Too lost on everything, my tongue slowly slid between her lips, eliciting a gasp from the blonde. My tongue explored hers, neither of us pulling away. I didn't even know what I was doing anymore. But, I knew we had stop before we did something we would both regret. Slowly, I pulled my face sway from hers. Her eyes opened, looking at me with confusion.

"What was that about?" Lucy asked. Her tone was confused, but not angry.

"Sorry, I don't know what came over me. I think I was just caught up in the heat of the moment," I said, brushing it off. That had to be it. Just the heat of the moment. I knew I didn't have those kind of feelings for Lucy. We had just become friends after all.

"Oh, well okay. Just don't do it again," Lucy eyed me seriously.

"Noted," I said. I had no plans on doing that again. I still don't really know why I did it in the first place.

"I should head home," Lucy said as she got up from the bed. I nodded as I sat up.

"See you later Natsu. Thanks for looking out for me today," Lucy said as she headed for the door.

"No problem," I said. She smiled softly at me before exiting the room. I sighed as I threw myself back on the bed. Way to go Natsu, you probably just made things even more complicated than they already were. Why the hell had I done that? I knew that my feelings for Lucy were only friendship. I was certain of that. So why had I kissed her? It was because she needed comfort right? It had to have been from just all the shock and sadness we had been feeling today right?

"God why is this so fucking confusing?" I shouted at the ceiling. Lucy and I were friends and nothing more. I had to make sure to never do anything like that again. I finally had a friend I could trust and the last thing I needed was to make her uncomfortable by doing stupid things. Today had just been a whirlwind of emotions and we were both just caught up in the moment. I just needed to forget about it and relax. Sighing, I got up from the bed. I began stripping my clothes off, deciding to take a nice, long shower. I stepped in and let the hot water run down my body. This is just what I needed. Watching her father pass away had made me think about my father. I wonder if he was even still alive, and if he was, then where the hell he could be. I shook my head. Stop Natsu. Don't waste your thoughts on a man who abandoned you 22 years ago. My life was better without him in it. After spending some time in the shower, I turned the water off and grabbed a town. Wrapping it around my waist, I walked back in to my room. As I did, I noticed the scarf Lucy had bought me hanging on the rack. Seeing it got me to thinking; I should get Lucy something nice or take her out for a fun day to help get her mind off today. I should've just suggested that instead of randomly kissing her. She probably thinks I am some fucking weirdo now. Ugh Natsu, why are you still thinking about this? Just focus on being there for Lucy. Because that is what good friends do.

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 **A/N: And that is a wrap. Drop a review and let me know your thoughts! See you soon!**


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